State Funds Diablo Seismic Safety Panel

The State Legislature unanimously passed a bill that will extend funding for an independent seismic safety panel that serves as a public ombudsperson in technical disputes over the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Had AB 361 not been approved, funding for the Independent Peer Review Committee would have ceased this November. The bill, cosponsored by State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, will require PG&E to maintain funding for the panel indefinitely. Although PG&E officials have expressed impatience with the panel in private emails, the utility company did not oppose the bill.