D
The initial causes of serious accidents at nuclear power plants have not so far been flaws in the advanced-technology portion of the plants. Rather, the initial causes have been attributed to human error, as when a worker at the Browns Mills reactor in the United States dropped a candle and started a fire, or to flaws in the plumbing, exemplified in a recent incident in Japan. Such everyday events cannot be thought unlikely to occur over the long run. Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the statements above?
A: No serious accident will be caused in the future by some flaw in the advanced-technology portion of a nuclear power plant.
B: Now that nuclear power generation has become a part of everyday life, an ever-increasing yearly incidence of serious accidents at the plants can be expected.
C: The design of nuclear power plants attempts to compensate for possible failures of the materials used in their construction.
D: If nuclear power plants continue in operation, a serious accident at such a plant is not improbable.