Japan rocked by major earthquake; triggers fire at nuclear power plant

[TechBear_Seattle]

Japan rocked by major earthquake

An earthquake has struck central Japan, killing at least seven people, flattening buildings and triggering a fire at a nuclear power plant.

Hundreds of people were injured when the 6.8-magnitude tremor struck the Niigata area.

The fire at the nuclear plant has been extinguished, and there was no release of radiation or damage to the reactors, officials said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has flown to the affected region.

The story continues at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6900156.stm

My question for nuclear power supporters: Assume that nuclear power facilities can be made 100% safe against terrorists. Assume that the manifold problems for storing extremely toxic radioactive waste for tens of thousands of years are all solved. What can be done to protect nuclear plants from earthquakes? What protocols can be put into place in the event an earth quake ruptures the cooling system or containment, leading to (at best) a 3 Mile Island or (close to worst) a Chernyobl incident? Even if the odds of something happening are 1000 to 1, it will happen eventually, possibly with the very next earthquake.