| Date/Year | News |
| 1963 |
PG&E announced plans to build five atomic power plants on the Nipomo dunes. The Sierra Club opposed the plan, and the majority of the group agreed that the plants should be built at Diablo Canyon instead. Some Sierra Club opponents of the Diablo Canyon plan later started the Scenic Shoreline Preservation Conference and Friends of the Earth to oppose the construction. |
| 1968 |
A construction permit was issued for Diablo Canyon Unit 1. Early intervenors opposing the construction included The Scenic Shoreline Preservation Conference, Luigi Marre Land and Cattle Company, and San Luis Bay Properties. |
| Feb. 1969 |
The Hosgri fault was discovered just offshore. |
| 1971 |
A construction permit was issued for Diablo Canyon Unit 2. |
| Oct. 1972 |
PG&E claimed this was when they first became aware of the fault. |
| Nov. 15, 1973 |
Mothers for Peace, and Sandy Silver and Elizabeth Apfelberg as individuals, filed as Intervenors against the licensing of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. MFP simultaneously took a position for conservation and solar energy. |
| Mar. 26, 1974 |
In a pre-hearing conference of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB), MFP and other intervenors emphasized the seismicity problem with the Diablo site. |
| May 1, 1974 |
The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) rejected a request by Scenic Shoreline Preservation Conference that construction at Diablo Canyon be halted pending further studies of the earthquake fault. |
| May 2, 1974 |
In an action organized by MFP and the Cal Poly Ecology Action Club, 30 people protested at the AEC hearings in SLO against the AEC’s predetermined decisions and failure to provide an adequate public forum. |
| June 10, 1974 |
MFP asked the SLO County Board of Supervisors to hold a public forum on Diablo Canyon and to set up a fact-finding body to study problems with the operation of the plant. In July the board rejected the proposal. |
| Sept. 26, 1974 |
Following an earthquake centered 7 miles offshore of Diablo Canyon, MFP and the Scenic Shoreline Preservation Conference filed a motion before the ASLB asking that construction be halted at Diablo Canyon pending further seismicity studies. The motion was denied. |
| Jan. 1975 |
The California Department of Fish and Game revealed that between 4,000 and 13,000 abalone were killed -- apparently by toxic copper released by Diablo Canyon during hot water testing. |
| Mar. 7, 1975 |
TMFP filed a motion with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requesting a baseline study of cancer and infant mortality rates in the area around Diablo Canyon before the plant opened. The study was not done. |
| May 1975 |
Fifty area physicians joined MFP and others in asking the County Board of Supervisors to hold a public forum on the dangers of nuclear energy. The forum was held Oct. 17-18 featuring keynote speeches by Dr. John Gofman and Dr. Edward Teller. |
| June 1975 |
A Mothers for Peace poster, designed by Lori McKay showed a mother and toddler in profile. The wording read: “What do you do in case of a nuclear accident? Kiss your children goodbye.” |
| Dec. 9, 1975 |
The ASLB denied a motion by MFP that fuel should not be permitted to be loaded at Diablo Canyon. |
| Mar. 4, 1976 |
The ASLB conducted a special hearing to determine whether to grant access on security procedures at Diablo Canyon to a consultant for MFP. In spite of an opposing motion filed by a local criminal justice group, arrangements were made in June for the consultant to inspect security arrangements at the plant. |
| Oct. 1976 |
MFP retained the Los Angeles-based law firm, Center for Law in the Public Interest, to replace MFP members, Elizabeth Apfelberg, Sandy Silver, and Raye Fleming, who had been serving as excellent lay attorneys. |
| May 1977 |
Abalone Alliance was formed. |
| June 1977 |
MFP voted to become a member group of Abalone Alliance. |
| Aug. 26, 1977 |
PG&E applied for an interim license. MFP’s attorney blocked the attempt and PG&E withdrew the application. |
| Oct. 1977 |
The ASLB held hearings on safety, evacuation, and emergency plans. MFP and others tried unsuccessfully to convince them that the plans were woefully inadequate. |
| Nov. 1977 |
The NRC reversed its permission for a consultant for MFP to view Diablo security plans. |
| Sept. 12, 1978 |
The NRC ruled that the MFP consultant was not qualified to view the security plans. The consultant was killed in an accident Jan. 5, 1979, and the proposal to review the plans was withdrawn. |
| Oct. 20, 1978 |
The IRS Letter of Determination granting 501(c)(3) nonprofit status to MFP (EIN = 95-3080124) was issued. |
| Dec. 1978 |
The ASLB refused to allow two MFP consultants on earthquake safety to testify in a Diablo Canyon licensing hearing that lasted 2 1⁄2 months. They were allowed to file papers. |
| March 28, 1979 |
There was a partial core meltdown in Three Mile Island Unit #2 in Pennsylvania. |
| May 1979 |
The NRC announced a three month delay in the operating license for Unit 1 while it decided what changes might be required by the Three Mile Island accident. |
| June 30, 1979 |
Some 30,000 people gathered at an anti-nuclear rally organized by Abalone Alliance that included a speech by Gov. Brown. |
| 1979 |
The Diablo Canyon Conversion Project was formed to research the possibility of converting Diablo Canyon to an alternative fuel source. |
| Nov. 1979 |
Gov. Brown was granted intervenor status in the Diablo Canyon case. |
| Jan. 23, 1980 |
A hearing was held in San Francisco by an appeals board of the NRC to hear an appeal of the ASLB’s decision not to let representatives of the plant’s opponents who had security clearance review anti-sabotage systems for the plant. |
| Feb. 15, 1980 |
A federal licensing board’s ruling that an anti-sabotage plan for Diablo Canyon was adequate was overturned by an NRC appeals board on the grounds that the license board never looked at the plan before making its declaration. |
| Apr. 4, 1980 |
In a hearing in San Luis Obispo, MFP attorney, David Fleischaker, attempted to convince an NRC appeals panel to overrule an NRC Licensing Board declaration that Diablo Canyon was earthquake safe. |
| May 1980 |
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) refused a request by plant opponents to revoke or modify its approval of the Diablo Canyon Plant. Opponents filed a request to reopen the hearings. |
| June 1980 |
MFP withdrew from Abalone Alliance because civil disobedience might conflict with the interventor status of MFP, and the group did not want to interfere with the Abalone Alliance plans which included civil disobedience. Individual members of MFP were free to engage in civil disobedience. |
| July 1980 |
A handful of plant opponents staged a series of sit-ins at the CPUC to protest their failure to revoke the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity permit that allowed construction to proceed at Diablo Canyon, and their failure to allow a hearing to consider new evidence about the site, as well as possibilities for converting the plant to the use of an alternate fuel source. Governor Brown was asked to intervene. The CPUC refused to reopen hearings. |
| Sept. 1980 |
SLO county supervisors ignored objections by Diablo Canyon opponents and hired Voorhees & Assoc., the firm that wrote evacuation plans for PG&E, as the county’s emergency planning consultant. |
| Oct. 1980 |
Hearings on the seismic safety of Diablo Canyon were held in SLO. |
| May 18, 1981 |
In an event planned by MFP and endorsed by 17 citizens’ groups, around 1,000 anti-nuclear protesters gathered in SLO Mission Plaza. |
| May 19, 1981 |
A Diablo Canyon low-power test license hearing before the ASLB had to be moved from Discovery Inn to the Veterans Memorial Hall because of the overflow crowd. After the hearing, the PG&E attorney asked that the next hearing be held anywhere except San Luis Obispo. He said, the hissing “does tend to make you feel intimidated.” |
| Sept. 9, 1981 |
An appeal board of the NRC approved the physical security plan for Diablo Canyon. |
| Sept. 21, 1981 |
The NRC approved a low power test license for Diablo Canyon. |
| Sept., 1981 |
More than 10,000 people rallied in a two-week non-violent blockade of Diablo Canyon organized by Abalone Alliance, and more than 1,900 were arrested. |
| Sept., 1981 |
A young engineer discovered that the containment dome construction in Unit 1 was based on a fundamental design error. The design was 180 degrees off when compared with the blueprint. |
| Nov.18, 1981 |
The NRC suspended the low-power license for Diablo Canyon. |
| Feb. 1982 |
An earthquake design error involving valves like the ones that failed in the Three Mile Island nuclear accident was discovered at Diablo Canyon. By Dec. 10, 1982, close to 200 errors in the plant had been discovered. |
| April 23, 1982 |
The ASLB approved the Diablo security plans. Intervenors appealed. |
| Sept. 1, 1982 |
The ASLB authorized the issuance of a full power license for Unit 1 at Diablo Canyon contingent on certain conditions being met. |
| Sept.27, 1982 |
SLO county supervisors adopted a nuclear emergency response plan amid heckling by plant opponents. |
| Dec. 1982 |
The NRC adopted a licensing schedule which set March 31, 1983, as the date for the Commission to vote to reinstate the low power license, and to allow fuel loading – before safety studies and necessary corrective work could be completed. |
| Dec. 1982 |
MFP organized a letter writing campaign to Morris Udall, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, resulting in a Jan. 11, 1983, letter from Mr. Udall to the NRC expressing concern about NRC permission for fuel loading at Diablo Canyon before earthquake and safety issues were resolved. |
| March 8, 1983 |
Sandy Silver from MFP and members of other groups opposed to Diablo Canyon presented invited testimony at a congressional hearing on Diablo Canyon held in Washington, D.C. |
| March 1983 |
People Generating Energy organized a march of about 3,500 anti-Diablo protesters through San Luis Obispo. |
| July, 1983 |
The NRC Appeal Board held a hearing to decide whether to hold more extensive hearings to investigate construction quality at Diablo. |
| Aug. 1983 |
MFP urged people to write to Gov. Deukmejian pressuring him to change his mind about supporting the loading of fuel and the operation of the plant before the necessary safety hearings were completed. |
| 1983 |
MFP helped to organize Citizens for an Effective Emergency Plan (CEEP) to study the existing emergency response plans in the county and to demand that officials refuse to approve the plans until more effective ones were developed. |
| Nov. 9, 1983 |
MFP filed a case in the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. requesting an injunction against fuel loading. An injunction was granted November 11 and then rescinded on Nov. 15, and PG&E began loading fuel. At a hearing in Avila Beach, the NRC said, in a written opinion, that it might wait for an appeal board to rule before authorizing PG&E to start a nuclear reaction in Unit 1 at Diablo Canyon, but the commission rejected requests by MFP to stall fuel loading until the appeal board completed hearings and issued a decision on the design quality. |
| Jan. 1984 |
MFP acquired the services of the Government Accountability Project (GAP), a Washington, D.C. nonprofit public interest group which specialized in exposing violations in federally regulated industries. |
| Jan. 13, 1984 |
Abalone Alliance started an extended blockade at the Diablo front gates with 537 people arrested over a 4-month period. |
| Jan. 24, 1984 |
MFP representatives were invited to testify in Congressman Udall’s Subcommittee for Energy and the Environment hearing in Washington D.C. |
| March 26, 1984 |
Just as the NRC seemed on the verge of granting permission for low power operation, an NRC staff engineer, Isa Yin, told the commission that it was his professional opinion that Unit 1 should not be allowed to go critical because there had been a complete breakdown in quality assurance in the plant’s piping system. Isa Yin later resigned to protest the way the NRC handled safety issues. |
| April 13, 1984 |
The NRC voted 4-1 to reinstate PG&E’s low-power testing license for Unit 1 at Diablo Canyon. |
| April 18, 1984 |
The D.C. Court of Appeals refused to grant intervenors an injunction on the low-power license. |
| April 29, 1984 |
Unit 1 at Diablo Canyon started. |
| May 26, 1984 |
Presidential candidate, Walter Mondale, spoke against Diablo Canyon in Mission Plaza. |
| June 1984 |
One hundred new cases of false or misleading statements were filed by MFP, bringing the total to 1,300. |
| June 1984 |
CODES (Consumers Organized for the Defense of Energy Safety) was organized with a goal of forcing PG&E and the NRC to comply with all legal and quality assurance safety requirements. |
| June 14, 1984 |
NRC officials testified before a congressional subcommittee about Diablo licensing. |
| July 18, 1984 |
Intervenors called for more seismic hearings following an earthquake at Morgan Hill. |
| Aug. 2, 1984 |
The NRC voted 3-1 to grant PG&E a full power license for Unit 1. |
| Aug. 7, 1984 |
MFP asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. for an injunction because the NRC had not considered how an earthquake might affect evacuation. |
| Aug. 17, 1984 |
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. granted a stay on the NRC’s full power decision. |
| Aug. 30, 1984 |
A congressional subcommittee hearing on Diablo Canyon was held in the Cal Poly theater. |
| Oct. 30, 1984 |
Commissioner James Asselstine accused his fellow commissioners of serious abuses in licensing Unit 1. |
| Oct. 31, 1984 |
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. removed the federal stay on the full power license. |
| Nov. 2, 1984 |
The NRC granted a full power operating license to PG&E for Unit 1 at Diablo Canyon. |
| Jan. 9, 1985 |
PG&E requested a full power operating license for Unit 2. |
| April 1985 |
PG&E was given permission to start low-power testing of Unit 2. |
| May 2, 1985 |
The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals voted 9-1 to reopen the MFP appeal of the Diablo operating license, but they refused to force the plant to stop operating. |
| May 7, 1985 |
Unit 1 began commercial operation. |
| July 9-10, 1985 |
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee concluded that the NRC “circumvented the licensing process” contrary to the intent of Congress when it met in closed session four times to discuss licensing Diablo Canyon Unit 1, and it failed to hold public hearings on how an earthquake might hamper evacuation. |
| Aug. 1, 1985 |
The NRC approved a full-power operating license for Unit 2. MFP said it would challenge it. |
| Aug. 12, 1985 |
MFP, Codes, and Life on Planet Earth submitted a protest to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) demanding that CPUC carefully consider safety implications of PG&E’s cost control methods, freeze or reduce rates, and protect all of the ratepayers in the service area. |
| Aug. 20, 1985 |
Unit 2 was started. |
| Oct. 20, 1985 |
Unit 2 produced electricity for the first time. |
| Dec. 9, 1985 |
For the third time in two years, security guards at Diablo were arrested for selling cocaine. |
| April 25, 1986 |
In a decision written by Robert Bork, the U.S. Court of Appeals voted 5-4 against MFP’s request to investigate the NRC’s secret meeting on July, 1984, and to stop the operation of the plant until a hearing on the seismic issue could be held. |
| April 26, 1986 |
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit #4 in the Ukraine exploded. |
| May 1986 |
Unit 2 at Diablo Canyon began full commercial operation. |
| June 15, 1986 |
The NRC held a meeting to discuss the proposed re-racking of spent fuel at Diablo Canyon. |
| June 19, 1986 |
MFP and the Sierra Club announced that they would ask the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for an injunction to prevent PG&E from re-racking the spent fuel stored at Diablo Canyon to make it possible to store almost five times more spent fuel. |
| July 2, 1986 |
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals placed a temporary restraining order on PG&E, prohibiting it from storing more spent fuel at Diablo Canyon than originally intended. |
| July 24, 1986 |
MFP appealed the April 25 Appeals Court decision to the Supreme Court. |
| Aug. 1986 |
An NRC internal audit found “numerous problems” in the handling of whistle blowers’ complaints at Diablo Canyon. |
| Sept. 11, 1986 |
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the NRC violated its own regulations in approving the expansion of Diablo’s radioactive waste pools, and that spent fuel could not be stored until public safety hearings were held. |
| Sept.16, 1986 |
MFP and the Sierra Club filed a restraining order in the Ninth Circuit Court to prevent PG&E from putting spent fuel back into the re-installed original racks on the grounds that welds were used instead of bolts to anchor the racks as they were anchored when they were originally installed. They later reached an out-of-court settlement. |
| Oct. 20, 1986 |
MFP and other intervenors lost. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld without comment the April 25th U.S. Court of Appeals decision, killing the last legal challenge to operation of the plants. |
| Nov., 1986 |
Honoring a request from MFP and the Sierra Club, Rep. Leon Panetta requested a congressional review of waste storage at Diablo. |
| January 1987 |
MFP withdrew from the re-racking case in order to pursue a congressional review – leaving the Sierra Club to pursue the re-racking case alone. |
| April 10, 1987 |
During a routine refueling shutdown of Diablo Canyon Unit 2, cooling water reached the boiling point, raising the possibility of a loss of cooling and a core meltdown. |
| May 10, 1987 |
Seven members of MFP participated in the Mothers Day protest at the nuclear test site in Nevada. |
| June 15, 1987 |
The ASLB opened hearings in Avila Beach to decide whether it was safe to install higher density racks that would permit more spent fuel to be stored at Diablo. Controversy erupted over whether to admit the Brookhaven Report concerning the possibility of a nuclear fire in densely-packed spent fuel rods. |
| Aug 28, 1987 |
The state Senate Task Force on California Nuclear Emergency Response held a public hearing in SLO. |
| Sept. 15, 1987 |
The ASLB gave PG&E permission to store spent fuel at Diablo Canyon in high density storage racks that would allow six times the amount of spent fuel to be stored. |
| Oct. 30, 1987 |
The Sierra Club filed a suit in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to try to stop PG&E from increasing nuclear waste storage space. A temporary court order was issued, and it expired Nov. 12. |
| Soon before Nov. 21, 1987 |
PG&E asked the NRC for a one-year extension to complete The Long Term Seismic Study (due July 31, 1988) that was a condition of the operating license for Diablo Canyon. MFP and the Sierra Club objected and requested a public hearing. May 6, 1988 PG&E announced that it would complete the required seismic study on time (July 31, 1988). |
| Sept. 9, 1988 |
MFP, Life on Planet Earth, and Rochelle Becker, as an individual, filed testimony with the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to protest the proposed performance-based rate structure for Diablo on the grounds that PG&E would forego safety to make profits, and they considered the proposed “safety” committee a sham. |
| Nov. 30, 1988 |
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled that the NRC acted arbitrarily when it refused to hear evidence that the re-racked spent fuel storage system at Diablo presented a catastrophic hazard of fire and radiation in case of an earthquake. |
| Dec. 1988 |
A performance-based rate agreement was finalized by the CPUC after a secret session in the spring involving Attorney General Van de Kamp, the CPUC and PG&E. Other parties who had been involved in the proceedings, including Rochelle Becker and MFP, were excluded. The ruling was later challenged unsuccessfully in the CA Supreme Court by William Bennett, a member of the state Board of Equalization, and TURN (Toward Utility Rate Normalization). |
| April 26, 1989 |
MFP and Rochelle Becker petitioned the CPUC to modify the performance-based rate agreement for Diablo Canyon. |
| Spring 1990 |
A U.S. Geological Survey geologist warned that the Hosgri fault is likely a thrust fault, and that an earthquake similar to the Oct. 17, 1989, Loma Prieta quake was possible. |
| April 1990 |
MFP asked Rep. Leon Panetta, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, to seek funds for the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct its own research on the Hosgri fault. |
| May 22, 1990 |
MFP members and others testified before the first meeting of the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee, which was set up as a condition of the rate settlement. |
| Sept. 27, 1990 |
In an NRC hearing, MFP representatives testified against an NRC proposal to deregulate low-level radioactive waste. |
| Oct. 1990 |
MFP sponsored the visit of Olga Baskakova, a Soviet professor, to SLO. She left wearing a Mothers for Peace sweatshirt. |
| Dec. 1, 1990 |
MFP members joined about 1,000 anti-war protesters in a march through SLO. |
| Feb. 26, 1991 |
The NRC announced that it would indefinitely defer action on its “below regulatory concern” proposal to deregulate low-level radioactive waste. |
| Spring 1991 |
MFP collected about 4,000 signatures on a petition which was presented to the CA Coastal Commission as part of MFP testimony against an Air Force proposal to test missiles containing depleted uranium payloads off the Central Coast. The Air Force won. |
| April 3, 1991 |
MFP appealed a denial by the NRC of MFP’s request under the Freedom of Information Act to view a report from the U.S. Geological Survey which might suggest that the Hosgri fault was a greater hazard than PG&E admitted. |
| Aug. 1991 |
The NRC bowed to pressure from MFP and several members of Congress (who were alerted by a letter-writing campaign) and announced that it would reschedule a hearing in SLO that had been scheduled in Maryland on the Diablo Canyon earthquake safety report. |
| Sept. 8, 1991 |
More than 250 demonstrators marched to the gate at Diablo Canyon to commemorate the 1981 protests. |
| Sept. 16-17, 1991 |
An NRC subcommittee on earthquake safety held a hearing in SLO on the Diablo Canyon Long Term Seismic Program. |
| Fall 1991 |
MFP & TURN called for a Congressional hearing on the issue of seismic safety at Diablo. |
| June 1992 |
Kathy DiPeri was fired from her job as environmental interpreter because she refused to take children to a marine lab at Diablo Canyon. |
| July 9, 1992 |
PG&E filed a request with the NRC for a 15-year recapture of the Diablo Canyon licenses to make up for the time the plants were not operating. MFP demanded a hearing. |
| Aug. 18, 1992 |
MFP petitioned the NRC to intervene in the license recapture case. An amended petition to intervene was filed Oct. 26, 1992. |
| Sept. 17, 1992 |
MFP, CODES, and Life on Planet Earth submitted a protest to the performance-based rate decision and demanded that the CPUC carefully consider the safety implications. |
| Sept. 23, 1992 |
MFP and other groups raised $1,700 in a benefit for the children in war-torn Iraq. |
| Dec. 10, 1992 |
The ASLB held a pre-hearing conference on the license recapture issue in SLO. |
| Jan. 26, 1993 |
The ASLB accepted two of MFP’s eleven contentions in their petition for hearings on Diablo’s proposed license recapture. |
| July 19, 1993 |
The ASLB ordered the release of an industry report on Diablo Canyon operations to MFP. PG& E said it would appeal. |
| Aug. 7-8, 1993 |
MFP and other groups organized a protest march and a rally at Diablo Canyon. |
| Aug. 17-24, 1993 |
With advice from the group’s attorney, Diane Curran, Jill ZamEk acted as an excellent lay attorney for MFP in the ASLB hearing on the recapture of the Diablo Canyon licenses. The hearing was limited to maintenance of the plant and the use of a faulty fire retardant (Thermo-Lag 330). She did the whole case on cross examination without any help from expert witnesses. She was commended by a judge. |
| Feb. 4. 1994 |
A judge ruled that Kathy DiPeri should be allowed to return to her job as an environmental interpreter even though she refused to take children to a marine lab at Diablo Canyon. |
| July 1994 |
At their own expense, seven members of MFP helped build homes for Cheyenne River Sioux Indians in South Dakota with volunteers from the Habitat for Humanity Jimmy Carter Work Project ’94. |
| Aug. 8, 1994 |
MFP asked the ASLB to reopen the Diablo Canyon license recapture hearings because of new evidence about a recent NRC investigation into problems with Diablo’s auxiliary saltwater cooling system. |
| Nov. 4, 1994 |
The ASLB issued a ruling that the Diablo Canyon reactors could run until 2021 and 2025, but PG&E was forced to correct several outstanding problems that had been pointed out by MFP. The judge commended MFP for raising several key issues. |
| April 4, 1995 |
SLO Physicians for Social Responsibility and MFP sent a plea to the local Superintendent of Schools that the schools stop busing students to the marine biology lab at Diablo Canyon because of the radiation risk. |
| Sept. 22, 1995 |
PG&E reported that it was starting a two-year study on how to store more spent fuel at Diablo Canyon. |
| April 25, 1996 |
MFP collected supplies for Chernobyl victims and held a film, forum and candlelight vigil. |
| June 13, 1996 |
MFP and Rochelle Becker joined the legal proceedings before the CPUC involving the deregulation of the CA electrical industry. |
| Feb. 5, 1997 |
Whistle blower, Neil Aiken, a senior control room supervisor, testified before the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee about safety problems at the plant. |
| Late Feb. 1997 |
MFP and Rochelle Becker requested that the CPUC reopen PG&E rate hearings because recent allegations about safety problems at the plant and deregulation pressures raised questions about whether PG& E would sacrifice safety for profit under the performance-based rate structure. |
| March 1997 |
MFP started a letter writing campaign to U.S, Representative Walter Capps urging him to include Neil Aiken as a witness in the congressional oversight hearings on deregulation of electrical utilities. |
| June 27, 1997 |
MFP, Rochelle Becker, and Life on Planet Earth applied to the CPUC for a rehearing on a ruling of the CPUC that provided a monetary incentive for PG&E to defer maintenance at Diablo Canyon, and they challenged CPUC’s assertion that safety issues had been handled adequately by the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee. |
| Dec. 1997 |
MFP prepared to join the Seacoast Anti-pollution League from New Hampshire in challenging the legality of “on-line maintenance” at nuclear power plants. |
| Spring 1998 |
MFP joined a national campaign to collect baby teeth in order to measure the amount of radioactive strontium-90 – a good indication of the radiation levels the mothers were exposed to during pregnancy. |
| June 11, 1998 |
Whistleblower, Neil Aiken, was put on paid administrative leave from his job as shift supervisor at Diablo Canyon. The Union of Concerned Scientists petitioned the NRC to review the safety culture at Diablo Canyon. |
| Jan. 23, 1999 |
MFP held a “Peace Party” that resulted in the formation of the Central Coast Peace and Environmental Council (a coalition of local peace groups). |
| Feb. 28, 1999 |
MFP and other local groups sponsored an educational forum on the School of the Americas. |
| May 1, 1999 |
The Central Coast Peace and Environmental Council sponsored a march through SLO to support local residents who would be protesting at the School of the Americas in Washington, D.C. May 1-4. MFP collected donations to support those who planned to protest |
| Dec. 1999 |
MFP urged the CA Regional Water Quality Control Board to force PG&E to make renovations to Diablo Canyon to lessen future environmental damage. |
| Dec. 16, 1999 |
PG&E fired whistle blower, Neil Aiken, on the grounds of “mental instability”. |
| March 7, 2000 |
In testimony before the CA Regional Water Quality Control Board, MFP urged the board to fine PG&E for violations of its permit and the CA water code and to require modifications of the Diablo Canyon plant to prevent further damage. |
| April, 2000 |
Three members of the Central Coast Peace & Environmental Council were among local citizens who went to Washington. D.C. to protest the proposed “Star Wars” plan. |
| April 10, 2000 |
The Department of Labor concluded that PG&E maneuvered to have psychiatrists find “paranoid delusions” in whistle blower, Neil Aiken, because he complained publicly about safety problems and management inaction at Diablo Canyon. |
| June 2, 2000 |
The CA Regional Water Quality Control Board reached a tentative agreement with PG&E that would force PG&E to pay a fine and to preserve land for public use, but no modifications were required in the plant to prevent future marine damage. MFP organized a letter-writing protest that urged the board to reject the proposal. |
| March 20, 2001 |
The NRC held a meeting in SLO on PG&E’s proposal to store spent nuclear fuel at Diablo in dry casks to make room for more waste. |
| June, 2001 |
The NRC held a hearing in SLO to discuss safety issues at Diablo. |
| Aug 9, 2001 |
An NRC task force on the NRC discrimination investigation process met in SLO. The group was told that retaliation by PG&E against workers who raised safety concerns had a chilling effect on the work force at the plant. |
| Sept. 22, 2001 |
About 200 people marched through SLO to promote a peaceful resolution to the “War on Terror.” |
| Oct. 13, 2001 |
A “Walk for Peace” took place in Lompoc and ended with a non-violent vigil at Vandenberg Air Force Base in an effort to stop the militarization of outer space. |
| Dec. 2001 |
MFP and Rochelle Becker asked the CPUC to reorganize the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee to make it a genuine safety watchdog group. |
| Spring 2002 |
MFP petitioned the CPUC to open a local office of the Diablo Canyon “Independent” “Safety” Committee and to add a member representing SLO County. |
| Spring 2002 |
PG&E applied to the County of San Luis Obispo and the NRC to build and store spent fuel on site in nearly 140 dry cask storage containers (Diablo Canyon Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), increasing the on-site storage capacity to 9 times the originally licensed level. MFP sponsored a letter writing campaign to the Board of Supervisors opposing an increase in the amount of spent fuel allowed. |
| Spring 2002 |
MFP received a Certificate of Recognition from the Board of Directors of the International World Peace Rose Gardens stating that MFP would be honored with a plaque in the World Peace Rose Garden Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in Sacramento. |
| April 29, 2002 |
At a county meeting to take public input about PG&E’s dry cask (ISFSI) permit proposal, MFP, along with other concerned citizens, urged county officials to refuse to issue a license for the dry cask storage facility and to analyze all storage options. |
| May 14, 2002 |
The Letter of Determination for the Mothers for Peace Action Committee (MFPAC) was issued by the IRS, recognizing MFPAC as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that would be allowed to lobby for legislation. |
| May 21, 2002 |
The SLO County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 against requesting intervenor status from the NRC in the review of the proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon. Supervisor Peg Pinard filed her own petition for intervenor status, along with Mothers for Peace and other organizations. |
| Summer 2002 |
With the help of MFP and other peace organizations, Carol Pimental organized local “Women in Black” anti-war vigils. |
| Sept. 10-11, 2002 |
The ASLB held a pre-hearing conference in SLO with heavy security screening of participants – including metal detectors. Intervenors demanded that the dry cask (ISFSI) plans be suspended until the security of the plant and other issues were addressed. |
| Sept. 2002 |
Toni Flynn and 36 others were given 6-months prison sentences for protesting at the School of the Americas. |
| Oct. 26, 2002 |
More than 1,000 people marched through SLO to protest a possible war in Iraq. |
| Nov. 12, 2002 |
The SLO County Board of Supervisors agreed to fund a wide-ranging study of above-ground spent fuel storage at Diablo Canyon. |
| Nov. 2002 |
NRC officials rejected the MFP petition to put the Diablo Canyon dry cask (ISFSI) plans on hold until security issues could be resolved. |
| Nov. 22-24, 2002 |
MFP and other local anti-nuclear activists sponsored a Nuclear Guardianship Training Workshop with Joanna and Fran Macy as facilitators. |
| early Dec. 2002 |
The ASLB announced that only one of the eight contentions introduced by intervenors in the Sept. 10-11 pre-hearing conference could be addressed in a full hearing – the inquiry into whether a bankrupt PG&E could afford to build and operate the spent fuel storage unit. |
| Dec. 11, 2002 |
In a County Department of Planning and Building briefing on the Diablo Canyon dry cask (ISFSI) proposal, Supervisor Peg Pinard urged the county to require the casks to be stored underground with hardened protection. |
| Jan. 18, 2003 |
Some 1,300 people marched through SLO to protest a possible military strike against Iraq. |
| Feb. 16, 2003 |
More than 1,700 people marched through SLO to protest a possible war in Iraq. |
| Feb 28, 2003 |
In a letter to the NRC, CA Attorney General Lockyer criticized the ASLB decision to limit MFP and other intervenors to a hearing on only one issue and urged the NRC to order public hearings on other critical safety and environmental issues intervenors had raised concerning the dry cask storage unit (ISFSI). |
| March 19, 2003 |
Senator Feinstein sent a letter urging the NRC to address safety and security issues before allowing Diablo Canyon to expand the inventory of spent fuel. |
| March 23-24, 2003 |
The ASLB held a public comment hearing on PG&E’s ability to pay for the proposed dry cask storage (ISFSI) while in bankruptcy. All other contentions were denied. |
| May 19, 2003 |
The ASLB heard oral arguments about whether the bankrupt PG&E had enough money to build and maintain the proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI). |
| May, 2003 |
MFP and the Union of Concerned Scientists filed a Freedom of Information request with the NRC to discover who the NRC consulted with when they developed new security rules that were announced in April. |
| late May, 2003 |
MFP filed a petition with the CPUC to make changes in the Diablo Canyon “Independent” “Safety” Committee that was set up by the CPUC to address safety concerns that were raised by the performance-based rate agreement. |
| June 30, 2003 |
Public Citizen and MFP filed a petition in the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. to review the action of the NRC in purporting to revise the “Design Basis Threat” which describes the types of threats against which nuclear plants must maintain effective security measures. |
| July 10, 2003 |
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board withdrew its support for a settlement with PG&E to offset the damage the plant does to the marine environment in exchange for the renewal of it license for five years, and the matter was postponed. |
| Aug. 5, 2003 |
The ASLB ruled that PG&E was solvent enough to build and maintain the dry cask storage facility at Diablo Canyon (ISFSI). MFP said it would appeal to the full NRC. |
| Aug. 19, 2003 |
In response to a resolution introduced by MFP, The Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 to urge the NRC to address safety concerns before allowing Diablo Canyon to renew its license. Aug. 27, 2003 At a CPUC public meeting in SLO, MFP and others urged the CPUC to overhaul the Diablo Canyon “Independent” ”Safety” Committee. |
| Oct. 15, 2003 |
MFP and the other intervenors were notified by the NRC that their appeal for full evidentiary hearings on terrorism was denied. The intervenors announced that they would appeal the decision in federal court – requiring around $100,000 for legal and other expenses. |
| Fall 2003 |
The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility (A4NR) was organized by Rochelle Becker as a statewide organization to help to increase safety at Diablo Canyon, to stop the relicensing of CA nuclear plants, and to effect changes at all U.S. nuclear reactors. |
| Dec. 22, 2003 |
During the 6.5 San Simeon Earthquake, 56 of the 131 Diablo Canyon early warning sirens in the county lost power, requiring the installation of backup batteries. |
| Jan. 2004 |
MFP & other activists called for more seismic studies of Diablo Canyon in light of the Dec. 22 San Simeon earthquake. |
| Jan. 22, 2004 |
The County Planning Commission released its final environmental impact report on the dry cask storage proposal (ISFSI). Among the recommended changes was a repeat of the earlier recommendation that it must be made more secure from possible terrorist attacks. |
| Spring 2004 |
MFP and other intervenors filed with the CPUC to protest PG&E’s plan to charge ratepayers for replacement of the Diablo Canyon steam generators. |
| March 15, 2004 |
MFP and other intervenors sued the NRC in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for not publicly addressing terrorism risks posed by the dry cask spent fuel storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo. Amicus briefs supporting the suit were filed by the County of San Luis Obispo and the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, Utah, and Washington. |
| March 20, 2004 |
About 500 people marched through SLO demanding the end of the war in Iraq. |
| March 22, 2004 |
The NRC gave PG&E permission to build the dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon. |
| April 20, 2004 |
The County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to approve the plans to build the dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon. |
| June 9, 2004 |
Concerns about the safety of Diablo Canyon following the San Simeon earthquake dominated a hostile town hall NRC meeting in SLO. |
| Aug. 4, 2004 |
Citing 9/11 concerns, the NRC announced that it would no longer keep the public informed about security gaps at nuclear power plants. |
| Sept. 17, 2004 |
In answer to the June 30, 2003, petition from Public Citizen and MFP, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered the NRC to conduct public hearings on its Design Basis Threat (DBT) rules. |
| Dec. 2004 |
An article about MFP and Diablo Canyon appeared in The Asahi Shimbun newspaper in Japan. |
| Jan. 14, 2005 |
Rochelle Becker and MFP were featured on the PBS show, Now, with David Brancaccio. |
| Feb. 2005 |
Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee asked the state to assess the danger of the earthquake fault to Diablo Canyon. |
| Feb. 24, 2005 |
The CPUC gave PG&E preliminary approval to charge ratepayers for the replacement of steam generators at Diablo Canyon, which would allow the plants to continue to operate after 2014. |
| March 2005 |
MFP opposed PG&E’s request to the NRC to be allowed to build temporary racks to increase the amount of spent fuel stored at Diablo until the dry cask facility (ISFSI) was completed. |
| May 2005 |
The Coastal Commission staff asked CPUC to determine the environmental impact of replacement of the steam generators if the Diablo Canyon licenses were renewed. |
| June 2005 |
In response to a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study of waste stored at nuclear power plants, a powerful Congressional committee issued a stinging criticism of the NRC’s inaction regarding safety of the waste fuel and directed the NRC to move on recommendations made by the NAS. |
| Oct. 2005 |
Construction of the dry cask spent fuel storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo was begun. |
| Oct. 17, 2005 |
Oral arguments were heard in the Ninth Circuit Court case. |
| Nov.17, 2005 |
The Federal Register contained a notice of proposed rules for revision of the NRC Design Basis Threat that accepted one of the petitions for rulemaking that had been submitted by MFP and the Union of Concerned Scientists, but it did not address the terrorism issue raised by MFP in the Ninth Circuit Court case. |
| Nov. 18, 2005 |
The CPUC gave PG&E permission to raise customer’s utility rates by 2% to pay for the replacement of the steam generators at Diablo. |
| Late Nov. 2005 |
The NRC gave PG&E permission to install temporary racks to increase the capacity of the spent fuel pools at Diablo Canyon. |
| Dec. 2005 |
An unidentified man contacted MFP and said that he was riding in a private plane in May that swooped down over Diablo Canyon in a high speed aggressive dive to test the air security of the plant , and he was disturbed that there was no response. PG&E and the NRC later concluded that the incident probably did not occur. |
| Jan. 10, 2006 |
The SLO County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a letter encouraging the state Energy Commission to study the implications for CA of the federal government’s failure to open a central storage facility for high-level radioactive waste. |
| Jan. 12, 2006 |
A hopelessly deadlocked county Planning Commission denied the steam generator replacement project solely for the purpose of passing it on to the Board of Supervisors. |
| March 7, 2006 |
The SLO County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to approve the replacement of eight steam generators at Diablo Canyon. |
| March 9, 2006 |
Morgan Rafferty, from MFP, made an invited presentation at the NRC Annual Regulatory Information Conference in Rockville, MD, on the topic of nuclear plant security. |
| March 2006 |
MFP, the Sierra Club, and two Coastal Commissioners appealed the Board of Supervisors’ approval of the steam generator project to the state Coastal Commission. |
| May 4, 2006 |
Many citizens told an administrative law judge at a CPUC meeting in SLO that ratepayers should not have to pay $19 million dollars to study the feasibility of extending the Diablo Canyon operating license. MFP later announced that it did not have enough money to fight the proposal. |
| June 2, 2006 |
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of MFP and other intervenors who contended that the NRC must do an additional analysis of the environmental effects of a possible terrorist attack on the proposed dry cask spent fuel storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon and must allow more public input before it approved the facility. |
| July 5, 2006 |
A coalition led by MFP filed a motion with the NRC to halt the construction of the dry cask (ISFSI) storage facility pending the EIR required by the Ninth Circuit Court. |
| July, 2006 |
MFP treasurer, Morgan Rafferty, was named Executive Director of the Environmental Center of SLO County (ECOSLO). |
| Before Aug. 3, 2006 |
Because of a history of violations at Diablo Canyon, MFP appealed a decision by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to renew PG&E’s license to store toxic substances, such as chemicals and corrosives, at the plant for another 10 years. |
| Aug. 30, 2006 |
PG&E announced that it would appeal the June 2, 2006, Ninth Circuit Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| Sept. 6, 2006 |
The NRC denied MFP’s request to invalidate PG&E’s license to store spent fuel in the dry cask (ISFSI) facility pending the EIR ordered by the court. |
| Sept. 18, 2006 |
MFP filed a motion with the NRC to reverse the NRC’s Sept. 6 ruling. |
| before Oct.6, 2006 |
The CA Governor signed a bill authored by Assemblyman Blakeslee that required the CA Energy Commission to study the cost to the state of the failure of the federal government to open a storage site for nuclear spent fuel, and to investigate strategies to replace Diablo Canyon if it were lost because of a catastrophic earthquake. |
| Dec. 14, 2006 |
The CA Coastal Commission voted to approve the generator replacement project at Diablo Canyon in exchange for PG&E’s agreement to set aside 1,200 acres for public use, to make repairs, and to move gates to give the public access to the Port San Luis Lighthouse. |
| Jan. 16, 2007 |
The intervenors won! The U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not review the Ninth Circuit Court’s June 2, 2006, decision requiring an examination of how a terrorist attack on Diablo Canyon’s proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) could harm the environment. |
| Jan. 29, 2007 |
The NRC ruled that making nuclear power plants crash-proof to an airliner attack was impractical and it was the military’s responsibility to avert such an assault. |
| Feb. 5, 2007 |
MFP, the Sierra Club, and Peg Pinard responded to a Jan. 24, 2007, motion by PG&E for prompt NRC action, and urged the Commission not to rush through its court-ordered terrorism review. |
| Feb. 26, 2007 |
In response to the court order, the NRC ordered its staff to prepare a new assessment of the potential environmental effects of a terrorist attack on Diablo Canyon. |
| March 16, 2007 |
The CA Attorney General petitioned the NRC to rescind its finding that the environmental impact of high-density spent fuel storage is insignificant, and to issue a generic determination that approval of such storage may have a significant effect on the human environment, and to order that no NRC license decision that approves high-density pool storage may issue without the adoption of an environmental impact statement that complies with NEPA in all respects. |
| March 17, 2007 |
Code Pink and other peace groups organized a St. Patrick’s Day anti-war march through SLO |
| March 21, 2007 |
MFP, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Public Citizen, and Waste Awareness and Reduction Network submitted comments to the NRC on the NRC’s proposed security regulations. MFP submitted additional comments on March 26, 2007. |
| March 26, 2007 |
MFP, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Public Citizen urged the NRC to change the security rules to require that plants return their spent fuel pools to their original low-density configuration. |
| April 11, 2007 |
a San Francisco Superior Court denied a motion by the Coastal Law Enforcement Action Network to stop the steam generator replacement project at Diablo Canyon. |
| May 11, 2007 |
Public Citizen and MFP filed a petition in the Ninth Circuit Court to challenge recent rules by the NRC establishing security standards for nuclear plants. |
| May 29, 2007 |
The NRC issued a preliminary decision scheduled to take effect in 90 days that reaffirmed the original conclusion that the dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canon would be safe from terrorists. |
| June, 2007 |
Rochelle Becker, (A4NR), took part in a California Energy Commission workshop in Sacramento to discuss the future of nuclear energy in California. |
| June 26, 2007 |
The NRC 8-page court-ordered supplemental analysis of the possibility of a terrorist attack on the proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon was heavily criticized at a local NRC meeting in SLO. |
| June-July, 2007 |
More than 150 statewide and nationwide organizations filed comments with the NRC criticizing the preliminary supplemental terrorist threat analysis. |
| Oct. 1, 2007 |
MFP submitted its criticisms of the NRC Staff’s Final Environmental Assessment and its finding of no significant impact from a possible terrorist attack on Diablo Canyon. |
| Oct., 2007 |
Rochelle Becker was one of the national Sierra Club’s 2007 environmental award winners. |
| Oct. 11, 2007 |
The NRC Staff responded to the Oct. 1 MFP criticisms of the Final Environmental Assessment and finding of no significant impact from a possible terrorist attack. |
| Nov. 5, 2007 |
Two new steam generators arrived at Diablo Canyon. |
| Nov. 15, 2007 |
The NRC issued an addendum to the supplement to the Environmental Assessment for the Diablo Canyon Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). |
| before Jan. 19, 2008 |
The NRC agreed to hear two of the five concerns raised by MFP about the proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI). |
| Feb. 5, 2008 |
Form 5768 was sent to the IRS from MFP for the section 501(h) election of an expenditure test of the amount of lobbying to replace the “substantial part of activities” test. |
| Feb. 20, 2008 |
MFP attorney, Diane Curran, filed a brief with the NRC demanding a hearing, and arguing for access to secret documents the NRC relied on for its finding that a successful terrorist attack on the Diablo Canyon ISFSI would have no significant impact on the environment. |
| March 13, 2008 |
Morgan Rafferty, from MFP, gave an invited presentation at the NRC 20th Annual Regulatory Information Conference in Bethesda, MD. |
| March 2008 |
The Coastal Law Enforcement Action Network settled its 2007 lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission over its permit for the Diablo steam generator replacement project after PG&E agreed to a variety of mitigation projects. |
| April 12, 2008 |
Unit 2 at Diablo Canyon went back on line after a two-month shutdown to replace the steam generators. The generators in Unit 1 were scheduled for replacement in early 2009. |
| April 14, 2008 |
MFP attorney, Diane Curran, filed with the NRC detailed reasons why the NRC staff needed to completely re-do its evaluation of the environmental impacts of a terrorist attack on the proposed dry cask spent fuel storage facility (ISFSI). |
| April 14, 2008 |
After receiving a message from a whistle blower who claimed that he received a downgraded performance evaluation because he raised safety concerns during the Diablo refueling, MFP filed a complaint with the NRC stating that such retaliation has a chilling effect on workers. |
| April 16, 2008 |
MFP presented an Osher Continuing Education class at Cal Poly on responsible energy choices. |
| June, 2008 |
A quilt made for Elizabeth Apfelberg featuring memorabilia from her activism for MFP, family, human rights, and social justice was on display in the SLO Public Library. |
| July 1, 2008 |
In a highly unusual oral argument before the NRC Commissioners, MFP attorney, Diane Curran, assisted by expert witness, Gordon Thompson, accused the NRC Staff of failing to address the catastrophic environmental consequences that might occur in a terrorist attack on the proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon. |
| Aug. 7, 2008 |
A federal court of appeals ruled that PG&E should be able to recover a greater amount of its costs for storing spent fuel at Diablo Canyon because there was no federal repository. |
| Aug. 17, 2008 |
MFP charged that a transformer fire at Diablo Canyon shortly after midnight was an explosive event that would have endangered workers if it had happened in the daytime. MFP demanded that more safeguards be in place before the replacement transformer was used. |
| Oct. 23, 2008 |
The NRC denied MFP Contention 2, as argued before the Commission July 1, 2008, that the NRC Staff was obligated under NEPA to do a thorough Environmental Impact Statement on the effects of a terrorist attack on the proposed dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) at Diablo Canyon. Commissioner Jaczko wrote a strong dissenting opinion criticizing the secrecy surrounding the documents the NRC relied on for their decision and contending that the NRC did not consider land contamination resulting from a terrorist attack. |
| Oct. 23, 2008 |
The NRC ruled that PG&E could begin loading spent fuel into the dry cask storage facility (ISFSI) without doing a more comprehensive analysis of the environmental effects of a terrorist attack. |
| Nov. 17, 2008 |
An attorney for MFP and Public Citizen appeared in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to argue for a review of security regulations at nuclear power plants. The lawsuit was filed in May, 2007. |
| Nov. 21, 2008 |
PG&E announced the discovery of a new earthquake fault less than a mile offshore. |
| Dec. 12, 2008 |
MFP attorney, Diane Curran, filed a Petition for Review with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging four orders of the NRC. |
| Dec. 12, 2008 |
About 50 unionized PG&E employees held an informational picket at the entrance to Diablo Canyon for an hour to protest a PG&E policy to prioritize quick turnaround profits over long-term safety. |
| Dec 17, 2008 |
The NRC approved a rule that enhanced security requirements for nuclear power reactors. In part, the rule reflected input from the Union of Concerned Scientists and MFP. |
| Jan. 21, 2009 |
A video and an article about MFP and Diablo Canyon appeared on the Associated Press web site, and the article was copied by the Washington Post and other papers. |
| Jan. 30, 2009 |
PG&E notified the NRC of its intent to begin the loading of spent fuel into ISFSI casks on June 1, 2009. |
| Feb. 9, 2009 |
In the initial brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case, Diane Curran, MFP attorney, accused the NRC of illegal secrecy and of refusing to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Atomic Energy Act (AEA). |
| Feb. 17, 2009 |
An errata sheet and the Petitioner’s Excerpts of the Record were filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit as a follow-up to MFP’s initial brief in Case No. 08-75058, which was filed February 9, 2009. |
| March 24, 2009 |
The final phase of the steam generator replacement project at Diablo was completed. |
| March 25, 2009 |
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The NRC filed the Respondents’ Brief in Case No. 08-75058 with the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
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| April 8, 2009 |
The NRC Answering Brief of Respondent-Intervenor in case No. 08-75058 was filed in the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. |
| April 17, 2009 |
A QUESTION OF POWER, a documentary about nuclear power in California, was used as a 40th anniversary event and a fund raiser for the MFP court case. |
| April 22, 2009 |
The MFP (Petitioner’s) Reply Brief in Case No. 08-75058 was filed in the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of appeals. |
| April 25, 2009 |
MFP celebrated its 40th anniversary. Certificates or letters of recognition were received from the California Assembly, the California Energy Commission, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and the SLO County Board of Supervisors. |
| April 26, 2009 |
MFP held a potluck in honor of attorney, Diane Curran. |
| May 11, 2009 |
The State of California filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in support of the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York in case number 08-3903 in the Second District of the U.S. Court of Appeals. The 2006 MFP case was cited. |
| May 28, 2009 |
The NRC held an informal open house in addition to a “Town Hall” style meeting to answer questions from the public. |
| June 9, 2009 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee held a public meeting. |
| June 15, 2009 |
PG&E began loading the first dry cask containers with “used” fuel . |
| June, 2009 |
As required by AB 1632, the California Energy Commission completed a comprehensive assessment of Diablo Canyon and San Onofre and adopted the study, “An Assessment of California’s Nuclear Power Plants: AB1632 Report” as part of its 2008 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR).
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| July 20, 2009 |
Meet the Mothers Over Music and a Meal (MMOMM) fund raising event was held at the Cochran home. |
| July 24, 2009 |
Public Citizen and MPF lost their case filed May 11, 2007. In a 2-1 decision the 9th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the NRC can rely on the nation’s defenses to protect nuclear power plants from attacks from the air, and they do not need to order operators to take additional measures. |
| Aug. 6, 2009 |
A vigil to observe the 64th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was held in Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo, sponsored by MFP and Code Pink. A WILF petition was circulated asking Congress to designate August 6 Nuclear Disarmament Day. |
| Oct. 11, 2009 |
The annual Solar Tour Open House was held. |
| Oct. 20, 2009 |
After protests, the NRC held a meeting in Pismo Beach that was originally scheduled in Westlake Village to discuss the proposed update of the generic rules for the renewal of nuclear power plant licenses. |
| Oct. 23, 2009 |
Two switches that had been improperly set for 18 months impairing operators’ ability to respond in the event of a severe loss of cooling water were discovered at Diablo. |
| Nov. 24, 2009 |
PG&E officials announced that they had applied to the NRC for the renewal of the two operating licenses at Diablo Canyon. |
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The NRC conducted a special inspection at Diablo Canyon to determine how two switches that were intended to allow control room operators to remotely open cooling water valves were misaligned on October 23 during a maintenance procedure. |
| Dec. 9 & 10, 2009 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee (DCISC) met. |
| Dec. 21, 2009 |
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied appeals by New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts that it review the NRC’s rejection of a request by Massachusetts and California that it declare spent fuel pools at nuclear power plants a serious environmental threat. |
| Jan. 12, 2010 |
MFP filed comments objecting to the NRC’s proposal to “simplify and streamline” applications for nuclear power plant license extensions. |
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The yearly general planning meeting for MFP members was held. |
| Jan. 26, 2010 |
The NRC met in San Luis Obispo to review maintenance problems involving misaligned valves that resulted in Diablo Canyon operating in a compromised condition for 18 months. |
| Feb. 10 & 11, 2010 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee met. |
| Feb., 2010 |
MFP presented Jane Addams Children’s Peace Award books to the San Luis Obispo City/County Library System. |
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A Meet the Mothers over Music and a Meal (MMOMM) fund-raising lunch was held at Jane and Clif Swanson’s home. |
| March 3, 2010 |
The NRC held a meeting to receive public comments on the license renewal application for the Diablo Canyon plants. |
| March 9, 2010 |
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors requested that the NRC wait to begin processing the license renewal application for Diablo Canyon until the seismic studies for the plant have been completed and then reviewed by a panel of independent experts. |
| March 22, 2010 |
Through their attorney, Diane Curran, MFP filed with the NRC for standing as intervenors to oppose license renewal for Diablo Canyon. Five contentions were presented. |
| March 24, 2010 |
MFP had a “Fun Raiser” at Corner View Restaurant. The bar donations benefited MFP. |
| April 13, 2010 |
MFP filed objections with the California State Water Resources Control Board to proposed revisions to the policy governing use of ocean water for once-through cooling (OTC) as it relates to Diablo Canyon. |
| May 4, 2010 |
The California Water Resources Control Board ordered Diablo Canyon, to phase out its once-through cooling system by 2024 and replace it with an alternate system. |
| May 9, 2010 |
In honor of Mothers Day, the Unitarian Universalist forum in San Francisco celebrated the work of Mothers for Peace. Jane Swanson and Jill ZamEk, MFP spokespersons, spoke to the group. |
| May 26, 2010 |
The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board heard oral arguments on MFP’s challenge to the application for renewal of the Diablo Canyon Reactor licenses. |
| June 2 & 3, 2010 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee met. |
| June 3, 2010 |
The California Energy Commission (CEC) supported the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) approval of ratepayer funding for PG&E to perform advanced seismic studies and suggested that the CPUC require that these studies be completed and independently peer reviewed and made part of PG&E’s license renewal feasibility studies before the CPUC issues a decision on PG&E’s license renewal application for Diablo Canyon. |
| June, 2010 |
MFP awarded a $500 scholarship to Arroyo Grande High School senior, Sean Pringle, and a $1,000 scholarship to Saint Mary’s College student, Chelsea O’Sullivan. |
| June 23, 2010 |
The SLO County Office of Emergency Services announced that an ALERT emergency classification was declared at Diablo Canyon due to the inadvertent discharge of Cardox, a carbon dioxide based fire suppression system, during maintenance activities. |
| June 29, 2010 |
The NRC held an “Open House” and end of cycle meeting on Diablo Canyon. |
| June 30, 2010 |
The Santa Barbara Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and four other groups sponsored a presentation by MFP spokespeople, Elizabeth Apfelberg and Jane Swanson, in Santa Barbara. |
| June 30, 2010 |
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced that it has scheduled oral arguments November 4 for the MFP case against the NRC. |
| July 12, 2010 |
Jane Swanson, MFP spokesperson, spoke to the Seniors for Peace in Mill Valley. |
| July 23, 2010 |
The NRC announced that a “force-on-force” security inspection in March revealed problems that could result in a downgrade in the over-all safety ranking of the plant. |
| Aug. 3, 2010 |
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a letter to the NRC asking them not to renew the Diablo Canyon license until the Shoreline fault seismic studies are complete. |
| Aug. 4, 2010 |
A 3-judge panel of NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board handed down a decision to grant MFP’s request for a hearing on four of the five Contentions filed by MFP in opposition to PG&E’s application for license renewal of the Diablo Canyon reactors. |
| Aug. 10, 2010 |
The NRC Staff notified the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that it desires to participate as a party in the adjudicatory proceeding with respect to all of the admitted contentions. |
| Aug. 26, 2010 |
MFP’s attorney, Diane Curran, filed counter arguments to PG&E’s appeal of the August 4, 2010, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ruling. |
| Sept. 8 & 9, 2010 |
MFP members attended and spoke out at an NRC- sponsored workshop on seismic hazards and their relation to the operation of commercial nuclear power plants and the current seismic studies involving Diablo. |
| Sept. 21, 2010 |
In honor of International Peace Day, MFP donated copies of this year’s Jane Addams Children’s Peace Award books to the San Luis City/County library. |
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MFP board members attended an NRC meeting in San Luis Obispo on the status of a documentation and design review being conducted by PG&E at Diablo Canyon. |
| Sept. 27, 2010 |
MFP spokesperson, Jane Swanson, was interviewed by Dr. Helen Caldicott on her internationally broadcast radio program, accessible at http://ifyoulovethisplanet.org/ |
| Oct. 16, 2010 |
MFP spokesperson, Jane Swanson, participated in a workshop at UC Santa Barbara sponsored by The California Student Sustainability Coalition |
| Nov. 4, 2010 |
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments presented by MFP attorney, Diane Curran, in the case against the NRC and PG&E contending that an Environmental Impact Statement was required to address the potentially catastrophic impact of a terrorist attack on the dry cask spent fuel storage facility at Diablo Canyon, and that the NRC must explain its decision in a closed hearing |
| Nov. 6, 2010 |
A “Dinner with Diane” fund raising event with MFP attorney, Diane Curran, was held at Cafe Roma |
| Dec. 7, 2010 |
MFP received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Lois Capps |
| Dec. 7, 2010 |
MFP was awarded a $7,000 grant by the Fund for Santa Barbara to help pay for the services of an expert witness in their legal challenge to the renewal of the Diablo Canyon licenses |
| Jan. 12, 2011 |
“Dangers of Living Downwind of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant”, sponsored by the Fund for Santa Barbara, was presented in the Santa Maria Public Library by Elizabeth Apfelberg and Jane Swanson from MFP |
| Jan. 19, 2011 |
The NRC held a public meeting in San Luis Obispo to discuss a PG&E report on the Shoreline earthquake fault near Diablo Canyon |
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Jan. 27, 2011
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The NRC held a public meeting to review the results of a recent inspection to evaluate the ability of PG&E to manage the aging of Diablo’s components during a 20 year license extension |
| Jan. 28, 2011 |
An administrative law judge of the California Public Utilities Commission ruled that issues raised by the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility and other groups in relicensing proceedings for Diablo Canyon merit a hearing |
| Jan. 29, 2011 |
Mothers for Peace held the annual meeting to produce a General Plan, elect officers and other board members, assign roles and responsibilities, and adopt a budget for 2011 |
| Feb. 3, 2011 |
The NRC held a public meeting with PG&E on their request to do a digital instrumentation and control upgrade to the reactor protection and safeguards systems at Diablo Canyon |
| Feb. 15, 2011 |
The Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals denied the petition by Mothers for Peace to overturn a licensing decision by the NRC regarding the dry cask radioactive waste storage facility at Diablo Canyon, and to force the NRC to grant access to sensitive information regarding their decision in a closed hearing |
| Feb. 25, 2011 |
State Senator Sam Blakeslee and nine other Democratic and Republican State Senators and Assembly Members invited the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future to convene a meeting in California because of concerns about seismic events at nuclear power plants in California |
| March 11, 2011 |
A 9.0 earthquake struck Japan, resulting in a tsunami and damage to fuel rods in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants that caused the release of extensive radiation into the sea and air |
| Mar. 16, 2011 |
In light of the Nuclear disaster in Japan, U.S. Senators Boxer and Feinstein asked the NRC to perform a thorough inspection of Diablo Canyon and San Onofre to evaluate their safety and emergency preparedness plans |
| Mar. 16, 2011 |
MFP strongly urged the NRC to follow the lead of the European Union and apply stress tests on Diablo Canyon |
| Mar. 24, 2011 |
Representative Lois Capps asked the NRC to immediately stay the license renewal process for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant until further studies demonstrate that the plant’s design and operations can withstand an earthquake and other potential threats |
| March 29, 2011 |
Representative Edward J. Markey introduced The Nuclear Power Plant Safety Act of 2011 to overhaul nuclear safety and impose a moratorium on all new nuclear power reactor licenses or license extensions until new safety requirements are in place that reflect the lessons learned from the Fukushima reactor meltdown |
| Mar. 29, 2011 |
Three of five SLO county supervisors called on PG&E to voluntarily suspend its drive to renew operating licenses for Diablo Canyon until extensive earthquake safety studies have been completed |
| Mar. 31, 2011 |
MFP sponsored a candlelight vigil for the suffering people in Japan. Participants wrote “Notes of Kindness” to be sent to refugee centers in Japan |
| April 5, 2011 |
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors heard a report on the county’s emergency response plan and comments about emergency planning from the public |
| April 10, 2011 |
In a deceptive letter dated April 10, 2011, PG&E requested that the NRC delay the date of the issuance of the License Renewal for Diablo Canyon until after PG&E completes 3-D seismic studies of the Shoreline Fault |
| April 12, 2011 |
In a letter to the NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, PG&E made it clear that its request for a delay in final approval of the license renewals did not mean that they were requesting any delay in the schedule for the hearing process for the license renewals |
| April 14, 2011 |
California lawmakers kept up the pressure to look harder at earthquake safety at Diablo Canyon and San Onofre, questioning why federal regulators will not halt relicensing work until new seismic maps are completed |
| April 14, 2011 |
MFP attorney, Diane Curran, filed an emergency petition on behalf of Mothers for Peace and 44 other groups across the nation asking the NRC to immediately suspend all licensing proceedings now underway at 21 plants until the NRC completes a thorough post-Fukushima reactor crisis examination comparable to the process set up in the wake of the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island. They also called for the establishment of an independent commission to supplement the NRC investigation |
| April 14, 2011 |
A rally in San Francisco called for shutting down the California nuclear power plants |
| April 15. 2011 |
Representative Edward J. Markey sent a letter to the NRC criticizing restraints placed on inspectors, and urging the NRC to immediately reverse the current direction given to inspectors to keep all findings and observations of vulnerabilities of U.S. reactors excluded from public reports on the Commission’s Fukushima review |
| April 16, 2011 |
MFP sponsored a “No More Nuclear Victims” demonstration against Diablo Canyon at the Avila Pier, with more than 300 attending |
| April, 2011 |
A “Peace Happening” benefit for MFP was organized by Laurie Laughlin and Chaz Andree at the Los Berros Peace Park near Nipomo. |
| May 3, 2011 |
The Green Party of California called for the immediate closure and decommissioning of California’s nuclear power plants. |
| May 11, 2011 |
The NRC ordered all nuclear power plant operators to submit, by June 10, detailed information about plans to respond to a possible terrorist attack. |
| May 15, 2011 |
Scholarships were awarded to high school senior, Jayden Norris, and college students, Gabriela Mendosa and Victoria Carranza. |
| May, 2011 |
An NRC inspection of emergency preparedness at Diablo revealed 20 problems – none classified as “significant”. |
| June 7, 2011 |
The NRC ordered a 52-month delay in the schedule for hearings on the application for renewal of the Diablo Canyon licenses to allow PG&E time to conduct seismic studies |
| June 15, 2011 |
The NRC held a public meeting to discuss operation performance at Diablo Canyon in 2010. |
| June 16, 2011 |
After a presentation by three NRC officials, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a letter to the NRC supporting the decision to delay the Diablo Canyon license renewal process, and asking for a third-party review of the seismic studies. They also called on PG&E to provide Santa Barbara County with at least one air-monitoring station to keep track of airborne radiation blown south from the plant.
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| June 20, 2011 |
Members of the California Legislative Environmental Caucus urged President Obama to take a fresh look at the United States nuclear policies and energy priorities in light of the accident at Fukushima and Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power.
|
| June 21 & 22, 2011 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee met. |
| June 23, 2011 |
In response to thousands of nearly identical CitizenLetter(C) messages voicing concerns about U.S. nuclear plants, the N RC declared that the U.S. plants are safe and a Fukushima-type accident is highly unlikely.
|
| June 24, 2011 |
Three U.S. Senators asked for a Congressional investigation of safety standards and federal oversight at U. S. nuclear power plants.
|
| July 12, 2011 |
MFP member, Maria Kindel, and her daughter, Sierra, delivered petitions containing 8,000 signatures to President Obama urging him to change his support for nuclear power to advocacy for clean, sustainable energy.
|
| July 16, 2011 |
Full Moon Dance, a “fun” raiser for MFP, was held at Marty Brown’s home. |
| Aug. 6, 2011 |
Some MFP members took part in a protest at the Livermore Lab. |
| Aug. 7, 2011 |
Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) held a benefit concert in Mountain View, California, for Japanese disaster relief and anti-nuclear organizations.
|
| Aug. 8, 2011 |
The first summit of California anti-nuclear groups, Nuclear Free California, met in San Mateo to work toward the shutdown of Diablo Canyon and San Onofre and to focus on energy conservation, clean, safe, renewable solutions, and a nuclear-free California. |
| Aug. 10, 2011 |
NRC chairman, Gregory Jaczko, urged his colleagues to vote on the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force’s recommendations on U.S. reactor safety within three months. Congressman Markey criticized three of the NRC commissioners who insisted on taking more time for review.
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| Aug. 19, 2011 |
The NRC directed its staff to complete several actions within 45 days in response to recommendations from the agency’s Near-Term Task Force examination of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan.
|
| Aug. 24, 2011 |
Jane Swanson and Linda Seeley met with representatives from the NRC Office of the Inspector General oversight agency.
|
| Sept. 8, 2011 |
Twenty-four members of congress urged the NRC to quickly move to adopt the recommendations of the NRC’s Near Term Task Force.
|
| Sept. 9, 2011 |
The NRC denied the August 11, 2011, requests by MFP and 25 other public interest groups except for the request for a safety analysis of the regulatory implications of the events at Fukushima to the extent that they directed the Task Force to undertake such analysis.
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| Sept. 9, 2011 |
A divided NRC Commission voted to allow the Obama administration to continue plans to close the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada.
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| Sept. 12, 2011 |
An NRC staff report called on the NRC to immediately require U.S. nuclear plant operators to reevaluate whether their facilities can withstand earthquakes and floods.
|
| Sept. 13, 2011 |
The SLO County Board of Supervisors asked to appoint its own seismologist to the group reviewing the studies of the earthquake faults near Diablo.
|
| Sept. 23, 2011 |
PG&E asked the CA Public Utilities Commission for as much as $64 million dollars from ratepayer funds for the seismic mapping.
|
| Oct. 5 & 6, 2011 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee met. |
| Oct. 6, 2011 |
The NRC held a public meeting on their new “Waste Confidence Rule” that will determine plans for storing nuclear waste.
|
| Oct. 12, 2011 |
The NRC Commissioners voted to affirm a 2010 decision by the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) to grant MFP a hearing on a contention that studies of the Shoreline Fault must be incorporated into the final licensing decision for Diablo Canyon. The Commissioners rejected three other contentions that had previously been allowed by the ASLB.
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| Oct. 13, 2011 |
Liz Apfelberg from MFP participated in a town hall meeting hosted by KCSB-FM News on “Devil in the Canyon: Downwind from the Diablo Canyon Power Plant”. The meeting was held at the Faulkner Gallery in the Santa Barbara Central Library & recorded for broadcast.
|
| Oct. 22 to Nov. 6, 2011 |
Linda Seeley and others in MFP helped to organize the “Sacred Sites Peacewalk for a Nuclear Free World” sponsored by MFP, Indigenous People Organizing for Change, and the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order. The group walked from Diablo Canyon to a sacred native-American site in Vallejo.
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| Oct. 26, 2011 |
Members of the MFP Board of Directors, by invitation, met with NRC Commissioners, William Magwood IV and William Ostendorff, and several staff members.
|
| Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2011 |
PG&E held a seismic workshop. |
| Dec. 2011 |
SLO County Supervisor, Bruce Gibson, was appointed to the panel of scientists who will review the seismic studies near Diablo Canyon.
|
| Dec. 21, 2011 |
An administrative law judge for the California Public Utilities Commission ruled that PG&E’s application for 80 million dollars in ratepayer funding to pay for license renewal should not be considered until seismic studies are completed.
|
| 2011 |
An article about MFP by Marilyn Delaure, "Peace Profile: The San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace", appeared in Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, Vol. 23, Issue 3, 2011. |
| Jan. 18, 2012 |
The NRC held a public meeting to discuss planned updates to Diablo Canyon’s reactor safety systems.
|
| Jan. 19, 2012 |
In honor of Create Peace Week, Jane Addams Children’s Peace Award Book were donated by MFP to the San Luis Obispo City County Library system.
|
| Jan 21, 2012 |
MFP held the annual meeting to produce a General Plan, elect officers and other board members, establish committees, assign roles and responsibilities, agree on a calendar, and adopt a budget for 2012.
|
| Jan. 26, 2012 |
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future released its final report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy.
|
| Feb. 1, 2012 |
The California Public Utilities Commission formally dismissed a motion by PG&E to assess ratepayers $85 million to pay for the seismic studies at Diablo Canyon, but PG&E will be allowed to reopen the proceedings after the seismic studies are completed.
|
| Feb. 8-9, 2012 |
The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee met. |
| Feb. 15, 2012 |
Thirty-seven clean energy groups, including MFP, submitted a formal petition for rulemaking to the NRC seeking to incorporate the lessons of the Fukushima disaster by expanding emergency evacuation zones and improving emergency response planning around U. S. nuclear reactors.
|
| Feb. 15, 2012 |
Jane Swanson and Liz Apfelberg from MFP gave a presentation to the San Luis Obispo Rotary Club.
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March 2, 2012
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The survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster were honored at Art After Dark in the Salon on Monterey featuring the soul artist. Stacy Bialac. Supportive notes were written to deliver to Japan, and posters and art work were prepared for the March 11commemoration.
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| March 3, 2012 |
Nuclear Free California met in San Luis Obispo followed by the SLO premiere of the movie, “Fukushima, Never Again”.
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| March 11, 2012 |
A commemoration of the March 11, 2011, Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan was held in Mission Plaza followed by a Poetry Gathering in the Steynberg Gallery.
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| March 20, 2012 |
Liz Apfelberg and Linda Seeley, from MFP, gave a presentation on the MFP opposition to Diablo Canyon in an event in Santa Cruz co-sponsored by Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County.
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| March 22, 2012 |
MFP co-sponsored a presentation by Dr. Helen Caldicott in Santa Barbara. |
