Join Us: Malibu Library, this Saturday, 4/9: 11:30am
May 4, 2015
Join Us: Malibu Library, this Saturday, 4/9: 11:30am
hit Diablo Canyon's Nuclear Reactors,
just 160 miles north of Malibu?
It could happen . . .
And we're downwind so the consequences would affect us all
Atop four major earthquake faults ailing Diablo also violates federal standards
Former Diablo Canyon Inspector Michael Peck's statements (at right)have caused alarm among experts specializing in public safety and nuclear power and at 11:30 a.m., Sat., May 9, two of the nation's most outspoken authorities on the topic will present information that backs up his remarks.
At its Second Saturday Series of 2015 lectures, Malibu Democratic Club will host Harvey Wasserman a senior advisor to the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, as well as an investigative reporter, and senior editor of The Columbus Free Press and Linda Seeley, spokesperson for San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, which for the past 45 years has spearheaded litigation and public hearings on seismic safety, radioactive waste storage, rate structure and deregulation, coastal water degradation and other related issues.
"Inspector Peck is the canary in the coal mine, warning us of a possible catastrophe at Diablo Canyon before it's too late," said Damon Moglen, Senior strategic advisor at Friends of the Earth. "We agree with him that Diablo Canyon is vulnerable to earthquakes and must be shut down immediately. Rather than the NRC keeping this a secret, there must be a thorough investigation with public hearings to determine whether these reactors can operate safely." - See more at: http://www.foe.org/news/news-releases/2014-07-diablo-canyon-secret-docum...
Wasserman maintains that if the plant were applying for state and federal permits to build on the Avila Beach site today, the construction would not be allowed. But beyond that, aging has caused a weakening of the structure, creating an additional layer of concern.
"Inspector Peck is like the canary in the coal mine," Wassernan cautions.
Diablo Canyon's seismic safety has been a source of caution since 1968 when construction began at the site. But worries have been intensifying following the March 11, 2011 Fukushima earthquake, when in their own report, NRC officials ranked the Diablo Canyon reactors as the most likely in the nation to be hit by an earthquake stronger than they were designed to withstand.
While the public waits for some responsible action, it should be noted the tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi reactor occurred only 14 days before it was scheduled to be shut down.
Peck first raised these issues in September 2010 but was repeatedly rebuffed by his superiors at the NRC. In January 2012, he detailed his objections in a document known as a non-concurrence report. That critique WAS made public, but the Differing Professional Opinion that he filed first -- almost five years ago -- is a far more substantive and critical analysis. It is the ultimate dissenting action an NRC safety inspector can take when disagreeing with his superiors. (Click on the link in the column at right.)
More than 700,00 people live in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
If a tsunami hit Central California disrupting the cooling of reactors at Diablo Canyon, what would happen next? Come to the Malibu Democratic Club meeting at 11:30, Saturday, May 9. Find out for yourself. And decide what to do.
Don't believe it?
Check this out:
http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/20/51127/ventura-earthquake-fault-puts-...
Consider these facts reported by the Associated Press:
> In July 2013, Dr. Michael Peck, former senior resident inspector of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), tried for a second time to officially call for a shut down of the Diablo Canyon reactors.
He had first tried in 2010, citing PG&E's and the NRC's failure to conduct a rigorous safety analysis and to address newly identified seismic risks. (But the NRC never released that document. ) You you can read it here:
http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/5a/8/4821/Diablo_Canyon_Seismic_DPO....
Peck drew attention to:
The Hosgri fault which was discovered in 1971 only about 3.5 miles offshore, forcing PG&E to conduct controversial and costly retrofits of the still unfinished reactors, and
The Shoreline fault, discovered in 2008, which is less than 1,000 feet from the water intake structure along the Pacific Ocean. That is the structure that cools the reactor.
> According to PG&E's own analysis, the Shoreline, along with two smaller faults (the San Luis Bay and the Los Osos), which also flank the Diablo Canyon, could trigger earthquakes generating ground motion "greater than forces for which the reactors and their equipment have been tested." And that constitutes a violation of federal law, said Peck.
These faults are in addition to other well-known active faults in the area including the San Andreas Fault, which is about 45 miles inland, and the smaller Rinconada Fault, which is about 20 miles away.
ADMISSION IS FREE
but please RSVP.
Easy as 1-2-3!
1) Copy this: "I will attend the Diablo Canyon Second Saturday Event."
2) Click on this: "RSVP HERE,"
3) Then paste and send to [email protected]
Ssshh . . . You can still come if you don't RSVP, but don't tell.
If you have questions, please contact:
Ann Doneen
310-457-2347
or email [email protected]
