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Nuclear Crisis At Nuclear Plant; Surviving On Hope Searching For Survivors Of Earthquake; White House Briefing; Nuclear Fuel Rods Exposed Again; Japan's Nikkei Index Down

Aired March 14, 2011 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Well, CNN NEWSROOM returns right now with Randi Kaye who's in for Ali Velshi.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne. Thank you.

It is 2:00 a.m., Tuesday, in Japan, where fears of a nuclear meltdown are only part of the national nightmare, and maybe not even the biggest part. Twice now, since Friday's catastrophe earthquake and tsunami, explosions have rocked the buildings housing nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant, some 40 miles south of Sendai. The first happened Saturday, you can see the smoke there in the distance. The latest happened just hours ago, injuring workers, knocking out the cooling system for another reactor that had been mostly unscathed. Workers are scrambling and right now failing to keep fuel rods emerged in sea water. And officials warn meltdowns are possible in all three reactors. We'll get much more in a live report in just a moment.

Elsewhere, the focus is people, finding them, saving them, feeding them, reuniting them. It's being done with boats, helicopters and even on bicycles. This man has been riding from one emergency shelter to another in search of his wife. Officially, more than 2,000 Japanese are unaccounted for, 1,886 are known dead, but that doesn't count 2,000 bodies reportedly found Monday alone in a single prefecture. Still, survivors who have nothing else are refusing to let go of hope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translator): I'm looking for my daughter. Our home is gone so she wouldn't know where to go. As other family members are safe, I only hope my daughter is alive somewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And sometimes hope is fulfilled and nothing else matters. This is a different woman and child reunited in northeast Japan. Look at that.

Right now, I want to get the latest on the nuclear crisis, and CNN's Stan Grant is watching that for us from Tokyo. Stan, what about those fuel rods? I understand they have noticed that they are exposed. STAN GRANT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This critical situation is, Randi, exposed for the second time now in the number two reactor. Now, previously, that hadn't been affected. You mentioned before there, an explosion -- where there was a hydrogen explosion in the building that houses the number three reactor that tore a hole in the wall and the roof. It also knocked out the cooling process, the cooling function for the number two reactor. That exposed -- that exposed the fuel rod there. Now as a result of that, we've heard from officials that they cannot rule out the prospect of a partial meltdown now in the number two reactor, as well. That's all three reactors and they're working on the assumption of at least a partial meltdown in all of them.

Now, this has led also to a spike in the radiation levels at the plant itself. At one point, it hit a new high twice the previous high level. It dropped back very quickly after that, but once again indication of just how volatile this situation remains.

Now, officials are continuing to pump sea water into these reactors to try to cool them, they have had some problems with some of that water vaporizing into steam, dropping down again, and once again exposing those fuel rods.

So, this is really entering unchartered territories with this nuclear emergency crisis they're battling on many different fronts and all the while 200,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in a 12 to 13-mile radius around the plant. They're all hoping for the best outcome here -- Randi.

KAYE: And so, Stan, if they've already evacuated all these people, are they taking other precautions in terms of handing out more of the iodine doses to people in the area?

GRANT: Yes, we understand that those plans are already in place for iodine to be handed out to people, people also coming into contact with some of the radiation have been checked out to see the extent of that contact or extend of any the radiation poisoning. Now, of course, the iodine works in limiting the impact of any exposure to radiation, particularly through the thyroid.

So, that's obviously very, very important. But the real hard work here, Randi, is really underway in trying to cool down these reactors and trying to solve this problem. That's where this really begins, they need to be able to deal with that. Failing that, if it was the worst-case scenario of a complete meltdown, what they then hope is that the safety containment procedures work and it houses any of the potentially dangerous fallout -- Randi.

KAYE: Certainly so much to worry about. Stan Grant for us. Stan, thank you.

CNN's Gary Tuchman has just called into our control room here, and he's on the phone with us now. Gary, where are you and what have you seen around the area in Japan today?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Randi, I spent the day in a town called Ishinomaki and there's some heroic work taking place in that town, because most of it is under water. Many people died, but hundreds of people survived but were marooned because of the water surrounding their homes.

So, the Japanese Army, soldiers, are in town today in rowboats, rowing -- in rowboats and in canoes and rescuing these people who are trapped, and are so grateful, these residents, for three days not only have they been trapped and wondering how they were going to get out because the water was so deep, but there's no cell phone service so they weren't able to get in touch with their family members or friends to tell them they were alive.

They also didn't know how their friends and family members were doing, but we went on a boat with these guys today, and they rescued a lot of elderly people who were just so grateful to step in the canoe and the rowboat, go to dry land. Many of them headed off into ambulances because they were sick. But what they have to do now, is now that they're on dry land, is figure out what they're going to do with their lives, because their town, Ishinomaki, is under water.

KAYE: Yes, and Gary, I'm just curious, where do they go from here? Because we have the blackouts there, a lack of food, a lack of water, so what can actually be done for these people who have survived?

TUCHMAN: Well, it's a tough time because not only do you have that, but you also have colder weather coming in. Over the next three days, it's supposed to rain, then rain and snow, and then turn into all snow. And there's no heat anywhere in this area, right now. So, even if you're fortunate enough to have a house, it's very cold, it's hard to get food, there's no water being sold in the stores.

So, there's no doubt this is a tough time, but you know, Randi, you and I covering these disasters over the years, we know this happens, you know, that the -- that you have situations where you don't have the resources, people pull together, there are shelters in Tokyo, they're donating food and bringing it up here. So, hopefully with all of the help of the community here in Japan and the international community, people who have survived this will do OK.

KAYE: All right. I know it's after 2:00 in the morning there, Gary, we really appreciate you calling in and bringing us that update. Gary Tuchman for us. Thanks, Gary.

I want to bring in Chad Myers now. And Chad, explain to me, if you will, how these nuclear reactors are supposed to work and how they're not working, right now?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: OK. This is an old reactor that we're working with, built and finished in '71, started in '67. A reactor and a generator, whether it's working or not, spins a turbine, the turbine spins a generator, and the generator sends electricity after being, you know, being derogated (ph) to 110 volts to your house. How it changes and how it spins is the big story. OK, got to go. KAYE: Yes, we'll get back to this because we do want to know exactly what is happening inside those reactors. But we want to take you to the White House briefing because they are addressing the situation in Japan.

Let's listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: -- the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He can answer questions people have about the safety of American citizens in Japan, as well as he can just generally update Americans about the impact of the accident -- or, rather, the aftermath of the tsunami and earthquake.

And then I also have Dan Poneman, who is our deputy secretary of energy, and he can outline everything that we are doing to assist Japan as it deals with the aftermath.

With that, I'll ask these two gentlemen to speak. If you could address the questions related to their areas to them, and then we'll let them get out of here and get back to work, and I will take questions on other issues.

Thanks very much.

JACZKO: Well, if I could just start -- start with just a few points.

First and foremost, based on the type of reactor design and the nature of the accident, we see a very low likelihood of -- really, a very low probability that there's any possibility of harmful radiation levels in the United States or in Hawaii or any other U.S. territories.

Right now, based on the information we have, we believe that the steps that the Japanese are taking to respond to this crisis are consistent with the approach that we would use here in the United States. And most importantly, we advise Americans in Japan to listen to and to follow the instructions of the Japanese government with regard to the nuclear facilities.

The agency has been providing technical assistance to the Japanese government as they are requesting. And in particular, we have dispatched two technical experts to Japan and are continuing to assemble a team of experts that would -- would be dispatched in the near future.

So with that, I will then turn to Dan.

PONEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Jay.

We have been working very closely with our colleagues throughout the interagency process. Here at the Department of Energy, we've been guided by Secretary Chu. I just came from speaking with him on this -- on this matter, and we've been speaking continuously throughout the weekend.

John Brennan has been coordinating matters interagency. We have had frequent meetings in person. We've had frequent meetings over the telephone, as we are trying to respond to all of the data that we are taking in.

We have also been in very, very close, continuous consultation at all hours of the day with Ambassador John Roos. And hats off to him for the incredible job he and the country team have been doing as they've been coordinating the American response and, as appropriate, given their independent regulatory status, we've been making sure we share information as appropriate with Chairman Jaczko and our colleagues over at the NRC.

We have focused our efforts on consulting very, very closely with our Japanese colleagues. We also have dispatched subject matter experts, both reactor experts and an expert on emergency response. We are in consultation with them, and we will make sure that any requirement that they have we are prepared to meet, and we are talking with them even on a real-time basis as that proceeds.

So we have technical expertise already there on the ground. We have additional capabilities, if and as needed. Of course, the Japanese government has tremendous capabilities on their own, but because a matter of this nature requires all of our best efforts, we stand ready to assist as required.

CARNEY: What I'll do is, I'll go ahead and call on people.

QUESTION: Thank you, Chairman Jaczko. Can you give us a sense of how President Obama is getting briefed about this nuclear crisis in Japan and the risks to the people there? And also, in the plainest terms you can, can you describe sort of the nature of what we're seeing, just how bad it is?

JACZKO: Well, I would turn to one of the others about the president's briefings.

CARNEY: Let me just say that, if I could, the president was briefed multiple times over the weekend. He has been briefed this morning and is being updated throughout the day. John Brennan, his -- the assistant to the president for homeland security, is -- is taking the lead on that and gathering information and coordinating the briefings the president gets with all the relevant officials in the -- in the government.

JACZKO: All right. In terms of the -- the second part of your question, it is a serious situation, certainly in Japan. The efforts right now of the Japanese government with our assistance, where they've requested it, is to continue to look for ways to provide the ability to keep the reactors cool.

And that is a process that has been ongoing now for -- for some time. And we continue to provide assistance where we can. In particular, they have asked for additional types of equipment that will help provide water and other -- and other resources to ensure that the reactors continue to be cool.

QUESTION: Has there been a -- a partial meltdown in any of these reactors there?

JACZKO: At this time, we don't really have detailed information about the -- the -- the nature of the core in the reactor itself. But it is a situation in which there has been a loss of the normal type of cooling mechanisms to the reactor. So as the situation continues to develop, we'll get better information. But right now, the focus has been to do everything possible to ensure that the reactor continues to be cooled.

QUESTION: And is this incident leading to any safety concerns at nuclear facilities here in the United States?

JACZKO: Well, as I said, from the NRC's perspective, we are always focused on -- on the safety and security of -- of nuclear power plants in this country. That will always be something that we do. Whenever there's any new information, we always take that information into consideration and -- and make changes, if necessary. But right now, we continue to believe that nuclear power plants in this country operate safely and securely.

I'll stop at that point.

CARNEY: Yes?

QUESTION: Following up on that, is there any attempt, though, at this stage, to assess, carry out a study of the ability of these plants in the United States to withstand an earthquake? Because, after all, you have California. And also, at least one of the reactors in jeopardy (OFF-MIKE) Japan uses that MOX fuel. Is there more concern about that, heighten any situation with the venting?

JACZKO: Well, with regard to the U.S. power plants, the U.S. power plants are designed to very high standards for -- for earthquake effects. All our plants are designed to withstand significant natural phenomena, like earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis.

So we believe we have a very solid and strong regulatory infrastructure in place right now. But of course, as we always do, as an independent regulatory agency, we will continue to -- to take new information and see if there are changes that we need to make with our -- with our program.

With regard to the MOX fuel, again, we are providing assistance to the Japanese where -- where they request our assistance. And at this time, they have not asked for any specific information with regard to -- to the MOX fuel.

QUESTION: You just talked about how the -- there are high standards for here in the United States domestically. What are the differences in safety standards between what Japan has and what the United States has? JACZKO: Well, right now, as I said, our -- our focus is always on keeping the nuclear power plants in this country secure. We are also putting a strong focus right now on providing technical expertise to the Japanese as they request it. Questions about exactly the differences and what changes we -- we -- we might want to consider and look at in this country is something we'll deal with down the road.

But bottom line right now, we believe that -- that the plants in this country continue to be designed to a very high standard for -- for seismic- and tsunami-type events.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) been calls -- this might be more for Jay -- but there are already calls for moratoriums on -- in the United States. For example, Congressman Markey called for that. Does the president know about these calls for changes in -- in the U.S.'s handling of this issue? And you said you're reviewing, but what is the timeline for that? This is obviously something that Americans are concerned about.

JACZKO: Well, again, as an independent regulatory agency, we will always take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety and security of nuclear power plants in this country.

But right now, we believe we have a very strong program in place. As we get more information from Japan, as this immediate crisis ultimately comes to an end, we will look at whatever information we can gain from this event and -- and see if there are changes we need to make to our -- our -- our system.

I would just add, as a -- as a similar scenario, following the 2004 tsunami, we did review tsunami requirements for nuclear power plants and, in fact, went and made sure that our plants would be able to -- to deal with that type of event.

QUESTION: Would plants in the United States be able to withstand a quake of this magnitude?

JACZKO: Again, I don't want to speculate on anything like that at this point.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) are they planned to be able to -- I know they -- they try to estimate what they would be able to withstand. I know in Japan, for example, this one I believe was only built to withstand a 7.9 or something like that. In the United States, are they built to withstand a quake of this magnitude, of an 8.9?

JACZKO: At this point, we -- what I can say is we have a strong safety program in place to deal with seismic events that are likely to -- to happen at any nuclear facility in this country. As we get past this -- this -- this immediate crisis, where we continue to provide support to the Japanese, we'll gather information about the specifics of -- of the event. But I don't want to speculate too much about what exactly were the relevant factors in -- in Japan at this point.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) question. You said that there's a very low likelihood -- I believe were your words -- of harmful radiation making it to Hawaii or the West Coast. Is that based on the condition of those plants right now? Or is that based on a partial meltdown or, heaven forbid, a total meltdown? Would that change your assessment?

JACZKO: The information about harmful -- the lack of any harmful impacts to the U.S. is simply based on -- on the nature of these reactors and the large distances, obviously, between those and any -- any U.S. territory. So you just aren't going to have any radiological material that by the time it traveled those large distances could -- could present any -- any risk to the American public.

QUESTION: You know, even in a worst case scenario, even with --

(END COVERAGE)

KAYE: All right, you've been listening to a briefing at the White House regarding Japan. A lot to absorb there. We are going to break it all down with a nuclear expert, Jim Walsh, on the other side of this break. See you in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Some images of the massive rescue effort going on across northern Japan after the earthquake and the tsunami. Many survivors still stranded without food, without water and, in many cases, without shelter.

Anxiety is also growing in Japan over the situation at the nuclear plants. We've just learned that Japan has formally asked the U.S. for help with its nuclear crisis and the nuclear regulatory commission is deciding just how to respond. As we've mentioned, fuel rods were exposed for a second time today after a steam valve shut down. People are worried there could eventually be a full meltdown. So to help us sort this all out, I want to bring in CNN contributor and international security expert Jim Walsh.

Jim, great to see you.

If you can, first, explain exactly what is happening there.

JIM WALSH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, we've now seen with a third reactor in a row a situation in which they've not been able to keep the reactor cool and in which they've decided to use last resort measures. In this case, trying to pump raw sea water and boron into the reactor to help keep it cool. The problem is, when they pump this sea water in, in two of the three reactors that they've done this, then that water boils, it causes steam, they go to release the steam, and in releasing the steam, hydrogen builds up in the building and then later explodes.

Now, that doesn't compromise the containment vessel and we can talk about that, Randi, it doesn't compromise the containment vessel, but it is another consequence of what's happening here. They have to keep it cool. They have to put the water in. When they put the water in, they have to let some out. And when they let some out, the hydrogen builds up and they get an explosion. So it's an ongoing set of problems and it's increasing rather than decreasing. KAYE: So we keep hearing radiation. People are being exposed to radiation. Can you put that in some context for us. Can you compare it to anything in our daily lives, like a medical CAT scan or something like that? How much radiation are we talking about?

WALSH: Yes, that's a great question. Because everyone sort of lumps the notion of radiation together in one big pot. Really, radiation is many things and not all radiation is created equal.

First of all, there are different types of radiation. There's gamma radiation, x ray radiation, beta radiation. And they have different properties. Some radiation can't get past the skin. You know, it just bounces off the skin. Others can pass all the way through, like x rays. Some radioactive elements last, you know, less than a second and then exist no longer, while others can last hundreds or even thousands of years.

And what really matters is, how radioactive is a substance, what type of radioactivity it is and how long you are exposed. That's why the Japanese public -- I mean the Japanese government, in a lot of these cases, is simply encouraging people to stay inside their homes rather than being out in the open air where they would have a higher level of exposure.

And then finally, we have to put it into context. We are exposed to radiation every day, from the sun, from bananas, from all sorts of things. Obviously you want to keep that lower rather than higher. Their -- scientists have not proven that there's some threshold for which, you know, there is no consequence. But in the main, we do absorb some and we should not expect just because you're briefly exposed you're suddenly going to get cancer. That -- we have to be cautious and careful about how we describe it.

KAYE: So just real quickly, could this and should this be seriously looked at given that President Obama has pledged to expand nuclear power plants. We're also hearing calls from Senator Markey today for a moratorium on those plants.

WALSH: Well, I think what's going to happen, if you look at the historical record, after Three Mile Island in 1979, we essentially stopped building power plants in this country until quite recently. After the Chernobyl incident in 1986, again the power industry took a hit and worldwide there weren't many being built. You know, I think it's going to be tough to build them in the U.S. There will at least be a pause if, for political reasons and psychological reasons, if for no other reason. They're always tough to build anyway. This only adds complexity to that.

But I think the key question is, after that sort of political and natural reaction, we need to find out what happened in Japan. We do not know. We will not know for months or even years until they get in and are able to look at the reactors. And then we have to see what the lessons are and see if any of those lessons can be applied here in the United States.

KAYE: Excellent conversation. Jim Walsh, so glad we have your expertise on this. Really appreciate that today. Thank you.

WALSH: Thank you, Randi.

In addition to the considerable emotional impact, there is a global economic impact. Not just on the markets, but exporting and importing as well. In just two minutes, we'll take a look at the latest information for "Your Money."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: All right, now "Your Money." Friday's earthquake and tsunami is sending shockwaves through the financial market. Alison Kosik joins us from the New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, good to see you.

The Nikkei plunged 6 percent today. So put this in perspective for us. How significant of a drop is that?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK, if you want a comparison, Randi, if we saw a 6 percent drop let's say on the Dow industrials, that would equal a 750 point drop. So that's a big deal.

Now, Japan hasn't seen a drop like it saw on the Nikkei overnight since December of 2008. And that was at the peak of the global financial crisis. And this is all happening, of course, because there's a lot of uncertainty about how this disaster is going to wind up affecting their production in the near term and a Japanese economy in the long run.

Randi.

KAYE: And, really, I think a lot of people are probably wondering, how and why did Japan's stock market even open today, because they're typically closed after a major disaster.

KOSIK: Exactly. You know, many of us, you know, remember the NYSE. It was closed for a week after the 9/11 attack, but that's only because we're located just five blocks away. You know, the exchange just couldn't open. But for Japan, it's a matter of necessity and pride. It's necessity because the country really needs to keep money flowing at this point. It wants to get money where it needs to be to start the rebuilding process.

So with that in mind, the Bank of Japan is feeding billions of dollar into their economy to make sure there's enough cash on hand. They also want to make sure there's enough cash just in case panicky investigators or customers and banks want to withdrawal their money. This is also, once again, an issue of pride.

You know, a stock exchange is a really big symbol of power for a country. And analysts say Japan is sending a message to the world, remember, we're the world's third biggest economy, we're still a superpower, and we're able to keep the economy functioning even after a disaster like this -- Randi.

KAYE: That is certainly a message.

Alison Kosik, good to see you. Thank you.

Japan's death toll and nuclear drama are growing. If you're just tuning in for the latest on the quake disaster, well, we've got you covered. That and other stories you may have missed coming your way next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. It is half past the hour and 2:30 in the morning in Sendai, Japan, where a chilly, rainy night's just adding to the misery for quake survivors and rescuers.

This is what they'll see again come daylight with similar scenes of devastation in any numbers of cities and towns nearby. The latest confirmed death toll according to Japanese officials is 1,897. But local media reports say thousands more bodies were found today in Sendai's prefecture alone. Meantime, crews are still picking through mountains of debris even though hopes are dimming of finding more survivors.

Fears about a possible nuclear disaster are growing. At one plant in particular, an explosion in one of its reactor buildings injured 11 people today. There was a blast as a separate reactor building over the weekend and now a third is at risk of a meltdown after water that was cooling nuclear fuel rods was actually able to evacuate.

The head of the international atomic energy agency says Japan has asked them to send a team of experts to help manage the crisis caused by quake and tsunami damage.

Japan's central bank is taking steps to avert a financial crisis announcing plans to pump over $180 billion into the economy. That did not reassure investors today, though. Tokyo's Nikkei closed down more than six percent.

All right. Now to some other stories that we're following for you. The flood waters have started to recede in parts of northern New Jersey swamped by days of heavy rain. But some folks still need to wear their waders. The water's still a problem in the city of Wayne and Patterson, New Jersey. Some major roads are closed today and may be through tomorrow, according to emergency officials there.

And State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has stepped down. The abrupt departure came after some controversial comments he made about WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning. Sources tell CNN the White House was furious over the suggestion that Manning was being mistreated in military custody. Crowley's comments came during a speech to a small group of students at MIT.

President Obama says he is heartbroken by events in Japan. We're going to the White House for the Stakeout with Ed Henry and the latest reaction, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: More reaction from the President today, to the crisis in Japan, saying he was, qupte, "heartbroken" by the devesatation.

Ed Henry is on the Stakeout at the White House. Hey there, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Randi. You know, you're right. I mean, the president had an education event this morning here in the local area in Northern Virginia, but he topped those remarks off with comments about just what the U.S. is doing to try to get on top of the situation.

I just saw Jay Carney's daily briefing taken over at the top, in part, by Department of Energy officials trying to reassure this nation and people around the world about the potential nuclear crisis.

That followed just moments before the briefing, we got word that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission here the U.S. regulatory agency that you've been talking about that deals with nuclear power plants here, has now gotten the official request from the Japanese government to help with some technical assistance to make sure everything is OK.

So it's taken over a of things, in effect. The president just about an hour from now is going to be meeting with the Danish Prime Minister Rasmusen and I got a chance to talk to him earlier this morning, interview the prime minister, and he, as well, told me that their meeting would be about Japan.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: What your government si doing to try to help and what you anticipate your conversation with President Obama will be. Along those lines as the international community tries to come together.

LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, DANISH PRIME MIINSTER: What's going on in Japan is absolutely awful and I send my deepest condolences to the Japanese people and the Japanese prime minister. I actually sent him a letter when I saw other Europeans watch the pictures at the (INAUDIBLE) and offered assistance. You know, Denmark is located a pretty long distance from Japan so I think what the Japanese need right now is support from the neighboring countries. But, of course, we are prepared to help the Japanese.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: So you can see even the president's meeting there where Afghanistan is supposed to be a big issue, Denmark is helping the U.S. deal with that war, with some police training, military training, et cetera.

Other big subjects like Libya will come up, as well. Japan is going to be part of that agenda even in that meeting. Let's face it. The U.S. is already -- you've got the Pentagon has the USS Reagan just off the coast of Japan. You've got search and rescue teams from California and Virginia, they're on the ground in Japan helping with those efforts. So the U.S. government is pouring a lot of assets into this, Randi.

KAYE: Ed, I'm just curious. Has there been any response from the White House from the calls by a couple of senators to put the brakes on the president's plan to expand nuclear power here?

HENRY: Well, you know, Jay Carney was just dealing with that question along with some of the Energy Department officials at his briefing and was basically saying, look, it hasn't had any affect right now because they're still trying to sort out the situation in Japan. They don't want jump to any conclusions and automatically rule out nuclear power expansion here in the U.S. because of what might potentially happen in Japan.

But, look, they know full well in private while they won't say it publicly perhaps just yet, that it was the Three-Mile Island nuclear accident there in the late 70s that threw off the nuclear power industry in the U.S. for decades, frankly.

KAYE: Yes.

HENRY: And those kinds of incidents can have a dramatic impact on what kind of energy resources and what not that the U.S. is going to tap (ph).

Nuclear power is supposed to be part of the solution in finding more green energy. Now all of a sudden it may be set back as you suggest, Randi.

KAYE: All right. Ed Henry on the Stakeout. Thank you, Ed.

We want to show you something. Look at the smoke pouring out of that nuclear power plant. That white smoke there -- what's the radiation risk and can people be protected? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This is the scene at one shelter in Sendai, Japan where some victims are still coping with their losses after the earthquake and tsunami devastated that region.

At least 160 people living near Japan's troubled Fukushima power plant have been exposed to high levels of radiation. And after new cooling problems just today, more radioactive steam will have to be released.

Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been following developments for us.

How much do we know about the kind of radiation that these people are being exposed to?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot that we don't know. And I'm glad you asked about the kind of radiation because people sometimes think radio activity is radio activity. But different things can be in that plume and will affect people differently. But here's one thing that we do know. We just got measurements that were taken outside the gate at one of the plant.

KAYE: New measurements?

COHEN: New measurements. One of these measurements -- the highest one -- was about 3,000 microseavers in an hour.

KAYE: What does that mean?

COHEN: What does that mean? OK. If you or I were to get a CT scan, that's about 3,000 microseavers. Of course, we're not spending an hour in that scan. It's, you know, for a very short period of time.

So we asked an expert, you know, what does that mean? They said, well, look, it's -- yes, that is a high -- you don't want to be there for an hour, but who was standing at the gate of the plant for an hour? They're doing a really job, it sounds like, of getting people out of there and moving way.

And distance and dose are the key words here, Randi. If you can get people out of the -- further away where the dose is lower, that's huge.

KAYE: So not everybody, though, was lucky enough to get out of the way. So for anyone who has been exposed, what can they do?

COHEN: The experts we talked to -- the nuclear experts at Columbia and at Georgia Tech, and they said the first thing they do is they look at whether the exposure was internal or external. If they think that it was external, I know this sounds crazy, but taking off your clothes and taking a shower is what they do.

KAYE: It sounds so simple.

COHEN: It does sound so simple. But it's particles that may have landed on you and so you want to get rid of those particles.

Now, if it's internal, it's different. They have to first figure that out which isn't easy. And then there are and then there are chelating agents that they can give you. But they're really hoping that that's not the issue here, that people did get away and that these exposures weren't high dosage to begin with. And that those two things, that the exposures hopefully weren't very high dosage and that they could get them out of there.

One of the experts we talked to said this is not a Chernobyl. He said, let's be clear. This is not a Chernobly. He said, I'm not even sure this is a Three-Mile Island. But, if it is one of those two, it is a Three-Mile Island.

KAYE: Well, and we saw long-term effects there.

COHEN: Well, at Three-Mile Island, the exeprts are telling me, no, not so much. That they didn't. At Chernobyl, yes. At Chernobyl, decades later there were these terrible cancer rates. And so long- term that's what they're going to look for, and I'm sure, I should hope that they'll do studies here long-term.

But that's what you're looking for. The short-term isn't so much the concern here, it's long-term. Are you going to see cancers, 10, 20, 30 years later? Three-Mile Island, the experts tell me that's not what they saw. At Chernobyl yes, but this is not a Chernobyl.

KAYE: All right. That is good news. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks, Randi.

KAYE: Good to see you.

We aren't going to get very far from the situation in Japan, but there are things developing in Libya that we want to bring to your attention. Moammar Gadhafi's forces are in a hard fight to regain towns from the opposition rebels. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins me live now from Benghazi.

Ben, you've been traveling around today. What are you seeing?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi. What we've seen is that the rebels seem to have stopped this Libyan government advance that was heading toward Benghazi. They stopped them at the town of Brega, which is the site of the very important gas -- natural gas processing plant and a refinery.

There were some air raids earlier in the day in the town of Ajdabiya, which is a little further to the east of there. But of course, the concern is that Moammar Gadhafi's could potentially encircle the coastal cities, including this city, Benghazi, and cut them off from the Libyan border. And after that, the worry is that if Moammar Gadhafi is able to reassert his control in this part of the country where this revolt began that there could be some very bloody reprisals. Randi?

KAYE: I know that rebels were feeling pretty good about things not too long ago. Are they getting more frustrated as this continues?

WEDEMAN: They're getting very frustrated. They're feeling very exposed to the air power of the Libyan air force, and I can tell you that every time one of those planes flies overhead, there's panic. Everybody stops their car, jumps out and tries to find a place to hide. Their feeling that the world, which initially was welcoming of this revolt that is calling for democracy and human rights and freedom of the press-- that the world was applauding.

Now the world seems to have turned its back, not providing the no-fly zone that the people were asking for while very distracted by the disaster in Japan. And this is why people are so worried that Moammar Gadhafi is on the offensive. He does have superior firepower, and if he gets here, people will pay a very high price. Randi?

KAYE: So, how long can the rebels hang on? Are they still well armed?

WEDEMAN: Well, they have wasted a lot of their ammunition just firing it in the air. They're very badly organized, although some efforts are being made to sort of bring their command structure into a rational way.

There are reports that Moammar Gadhafi's forces are running sort of fuel. That may help them. But by and large, they are under pressure, they're under stress, and they're feeling somewhat neglected at the moment. Randi?

KAYE: Ben Wedeman for us in Benghazi. Ben, thank you.

Getting back to Japan now, the human toll there is devastating enough. But can the economy keep going? We'll tell you what's happening with one of the country's best known industries. That is cars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: More incredible videos. Survivors waiting for help pitch in to assist with rescue efforts as one woman, you see here, struggles to climb into a rescue boat. Rescue operations are still in full force across northeastern Japan.

The human toll of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have been devastating. Now as the country slowly begins to assess its recovery, attention is paying attention to how much this is going to affect Japan's automobile manufacturers, a cornerstone of the country's economy. The world's third largest.

Well, Toyota is not only Japan's biggest carmaker but also the largest in the world. It has closed 12 plants so far in Japan and won't be up and running until later this week at the earliest. Japan's other big manufacturers: Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi have all cut production and closed many of their plants as well. Rolling blackouts across the country to conserve power are making it hard to keep the doors open and assembly lines up and running.

But more than that, it's how cars are made these days that makes it tougher for a quick recovery. It wasn't that long ago that carmakers would have an assembly plant right next door to a warehouse full of parts they needed to make those cars for weeks or maybe even months on end. Not anymore. Now the model is what's called "just in time" inventory. That means if you have orders for 10,000 Honda Accords next week, they make and ship the parts needed to do that right before production begins. If the roads between the parts plant and assembly plant have been damaged, you won't be able to keep up production. If the parts plant is damaged itself, well, then you are in even bigger trouble.

The good news is that car making has gone global and if you buy a Honda or Toyota here in U.S. or maybe in Europe, chances are the car isn't made that far away. Nissan, for example, says 70 percent of its cars sold in the Americas are made here as well. But some part makers and a few of the brands are still made only in Japan and will affect production for possibly weeks to come. Just too early to tell how deeply it will affect the Japanese economy, but with production being cut by tens of thousands of vehicles, it isn't going to help the country's recovery, for sure.

A Japanese father searches for his missing daughter. We'll tell you how it all ended, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Just take a look at this video. Cars as you just saw stacked on top of each other right outside Sendai, Japan, after experiencing a massive earthquake and tsunami. Rescue crews continue to sift through the wreckage in the hopes of locating any survivors.

Friday's earthquake was centered just 80 miles from the Japanese city of Sendai. Christa Maar of "Time" magazine brings us this remarkable video footage from that devastated area as she follows a father searching for his missing daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTA MAAR, "TIME" MAGAZINE (voice-over: Three days after the double disasters of an earthquake and tsunami hit the east coast of Japan, Masahira Katsumatsa (ph) doesn't know whether his daughter Yoko has survived. She was at work at the Sendai airport when the tsunami washed over it on Friday afternoon. Dozens of people in the area were killed.

The Sendai airport is one of the many places along Japan's coast that have been devastated in this week's disasters. As aftershocks have continued to rock the region for the past three days, the rescue effort to get those stranded has just begun.

On the road to the airport, these students are ferrying back and forth from their dormitory at the Civil Aviation Institute to gather the things they had left in the dorm.

KEISUKE MASUDA, STUDENT, CIVIL AVIATION INSTITUTE: It was Friday, 3:00. We were studying in the halls, and we got a tsunami alert. I mean, we got the earthquake, like -- and ten minutes after that, we got tsunami alert. So, we just evacuated to the top of that building, three stories, and waited for 40 minutes after that. Tsunami hit the building -- and I mean everywhere here. Yes, it's the story.

MAAR: This is the footage he took from the school's roof.

MASUDA: When I saw the tsunami coming to us, I was, like, OK, I'm over. It's over.

But we stayed there all night, and it was so freezing. It was minus 1 degrees Celsius. No food. No water. So, we were so scared. Yes.

MAAR: At the airport, Katamatsu (ph) goes to the part of the building where he thinks his daughter works and starts asking around to see if anyone has heard of her. He finds out Yoko is okay. They've just missed each other. She has been here for the past two days and just left shortly before he arrived.

Katamatsu's wife, Anikko (ph), is at the car where they've been sleeping, waiting for news about their daughter. She is overwhelmed to hear that she's okay.

It's a very good piece of news in a place where more will be needed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)