The Big One

The entire California coastline lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire earthquake zone, which has become much more active in recent years. As the earth’s polar caps and glaciers melt at an ever-accelerating rate (2015 was the hottest year on record), the reduced weight on both the top and bottom of our planet is causing the Earth’s tectonic plates to shift. This increased movement is responsible for larger and more frequent earthquakes.

Unfortunately, most of us have been lulled into a false sense of security. Scientists assure us that it is only a matter of time before our state experiences The Big One, a horrific natural disaster. According to recent studies, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake along the Cascadia Fault could potentially produce a tsunami so large that it would wash away coastal towns.

The Diablo Cove Fault which runs east to west directly under the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant’s Unit One Reactor and turbine building is seismically linked to the Shoreline Fault, the Hosgri Fault, the San Andreas Fault, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone. In addition to these major faults, there are thousands of undiscovered collaterals. Collaterals are faults that branch off of major fault lines. The power stored in this combined network of fault systems can create an earthquake sufficient to exceed Diablo Canyon’s safeguards. The idea that nuclear power plants are durable enough to withstand strong earthquakes and other external shocks is a total myth. Why must we continue to live with this unnecessary danger?

It is no longer rational for us to suffer the risks posed by the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. We need to remove of this aging hazard from our coastline as soon as possible.