Close Diablo

Recent news reports state PG&E was criminally charged with a dozen felony violations stemming from the natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people, injured many more, and destroyed 38 homes. Among the allegations were that PG&E “knowingly and willfully” failed to follow minimum safety standards.

My question is do we have a similiar situation at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power plant?

David Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientitsts in a recent presentation in San Luis Obispo stated PG&E has never met fire protection regulations at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and that Diablo is at risk of fire from flammable materials. He says the risk of reactor meltdown from fire is 50 percent (also see Union of Concerned Scientists fire report website and sign their petition).

Lochbaum also said that 75 percent of spent fuel is stored in dangerous spent-fuel pools while only 25 percent is in dry casks in all U.S. nuclear facilities. The difference in radiation release is enormous and “criminally negligent.”

Locbaum also talked about the risk of earthquake plus fire at the plant. He stated other plants with similiar earthquake risks as Diablo have been shut down.

So, where do we go from here? I say it’s time to take all necessary action to prevent another San Bruno and worse, another Fukushima.