19 Mar 2011

US signs nuclear accord with Chile

5:15 pm on 19 March 2011

The United States has signed a nuclear accord with Chile despite misgivings about the safety of nuclear power following the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan.

The Chilean government says the deal is about training nuclear engineers rather than building a reactor.

Chile suffered a devastating earthquake last year in which several hundred people died, and there are regular tremors there.

Environmental groups are questioning the need to invest in nuclear power.