Stop Fish Slaughter at Diablo

We can stop the slaughter of sea life at Diablo Canyon. In 2010 California ordered all power plants on the coast to modernize their cooling systems in order to stop damaging sea life. Plants that use ocean water for cooling suck in billions of fish and sea larvae and discharge unnaturally warm water. The result is disruption of the ecosystem and wholesale slaughter of fish upon which our local fishing industry depends

Diablo Canyon is still using this method of once-through cooling, while all other industrial sites on the coast have adopted less destructive methods. California scientists and outside experts say there is no reason cooling towers can’t be built at Diablo Canyon, but PG&E — hoping to save the billions they would cost — is fighting hard for an exemption from the state Water Board. While they lobby, Diablo Canyon continues to cause nearly 80 percent of the ocean damage done by all of California’s coastal power plants combined.

Readers are urged to contact the Water Board and tell them to apply the law and require cooling towers at Diablo Canyon without further delay. Letters must be in pdf format and sent before noon, November 4. Send to California State Water Resource Control Board at commentletters@waterboards.ca.gov.