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A document obtained via a U.S. embassy cable by Wikileaks quoted an unnamed expert who expressed concern that guidance on how to protect nuclear power stations from earthquakes had only been updated three times in the past 35 years.

It said: "He [the IAEA official] explained that safety guides for seismic safety have only been revised three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now re-examining them. Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have exceeded the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving seismic safety work."

Also disclosed: How the Japanese government opposed a court order to shut down another nuclear power plant in western Japan because of concerns it could not withstand powerful earthquakes. And Taro Kono, a high-profile member of Japan's lower house, told U.S. diplomats in October 2008 that the government was covering up nuclear accidents and ignoring alternative forms of energy, including wind power, according to the Washington Post.

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