The Nuclear Regulatory Commission held two “scoping” meetings in February to take comments on PG&E’s application to renew Diablo Canyon’s operating licenses for an additional 20 years.
The NRC is seeking the public’s input in identifying significant issues that should be addressed in its environmental review.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOUR SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS REGARDING EXTENDED OPERATION.
Thursday, February 1, 10am-1pm is virtual. Meeting Details
Thursday, February 8 from 6-9pm is in person at the Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo, 333 Madonna Road. Meeting Details
Talking Points
Below are suggested talking points on a range of issues that you can use during public comment. Please pick one or two that you would like to address.
- There is enough evidence to show that extended operation of Diablo Canyon is not needed to keep the lights on! California now has more than 8,500 MW of energy storage capacity with more being added each year, plus up to 5,000 MW of demand response – more than sufficient to ensure grid reliability during extreme weather events.
- Extended operation of Diablo Canyon is too costly! The California Public Utilities Commission has stated that complete costs are unknown but are expected to exceed $6 billion. The cost burden would be spread to other non-PG&E ratepayers throughout the State. This is expected to exceed $500 for every family of four.
- Keeping Diablo Canyon online would crowd out and slow down the development of alternatives (wind, solar, storage, efficiency, demand response). Because Diablo must operate 24/7, it limits uploading access to the grid by renewable resources.
- We continue to have significant concerns about seismic safety. PG&E underestimates the risk of an earthquake-caused accident at Diablo Canyon and fails to consider recent data and analyses. There is evidence which shows that the two faults that run directly under the plant are vertical thrust faults, meaning they could cause much more ground motion than ever credited.
- Unit 1’s Reactor Pressure Vessel poses an unacceptable safety risk due to serious indications of embrittlement coupled with a lack of information to establish otherwise. Neither PG&E nor the NRC has taken any steps to assess the current condition of the pressure vessel. Extensive investigation has revealed an unprecedented and persistent pattern of neglect by PG&E and the NRC technical staff.
- The Once-Through Cooling system at Diablo Canyon violates federal law. The facility circulates 2.5 billion gallons of seawater throughout its cooling system each day. The water released back into the ocean is 20 degrees warmer. It annually sucks in and kills more than one billion fish in early life stages. The State Water Resources Control Board has allowed several waivers to the Clean Water Act by permitting the continued operation of Diablo Canyon.
- After decades of failed policy, there exists no environmentally safe, just, and equitable solution to the storage of the toxic waste. Generation of even more high level radioactive waste during the period of extended operation – in an active seismic area – exacerbates an already dangerous situation.
- PG&E is a convicted felon. PG&E has a long history of safety violations resulting in death and destruction: Hinkley groundwater contamination, the San Bruno pipeline explosion, and some of California’s worst wildfires. PG&E has been deemed responsible for more than 30 wildfires since 2017 which destroyed more than 23,000 homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people.
Written Comments will be accepted until February 23: DiabloCanyonEnvironmental@nrc.gov