Following the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Petition Review Board’s (PRB) agreement on August 27 to investigate seismic safety concerns at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, Mothers for Peace, Friends of the Earth, and the Environmental Working Group are urging a comprehensive and rigorous review process.
San Luis Obispo, CA – September 11, 2024 – On the heels of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision on August 27 to further examine the seismic safety concerns at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant at the request of Mothers for Peace, Friends of the Earth, and the Environmental Working Group, today the groups submitted a letter urging the PRB to conduct its evaluation with the level of rigor that is warranted by these circumstances.
They are calling on the PRB, which is in charge of the investigation, to take the following measures that are minimally needed to fulfill the purpose of the NRC’s investigation: to “ensure public health and safety through the prompt and thorough evaluation of any potential problem:”
- Conduct a hearing including the exchange of documents, written briefs, live testimony, and the opportunity to question witnesses.
- Allocate the burden of proof to PG&E and the NRC, not the groups.
- Issue a “Demand for Information” to PG&E for critical global positioning system (GPS) data related to seismic risk.
- Ensure that members of the PRB have no prior involvement in NRC reviews of PG&E’s seismic risk analyses and possess adequate training and experience.
- Establish a peer review panel to provide independent assessment and analysis of the technical issues.
The PRB will investigate assertions by the groups’ seismic expert, Dr. Peter Bird, that omissions and deficiencies in PG&E’s earthquake risk analysis have underestimated seismic core damage frequency by a factor of four. Taking into account the higher recurrence rate of thrust faults under and near Diablo Canyon, his analysis suggests that the actual seismic risk could be up to 47 times higher than previously estimated.
According to Diane Curran, legal counsel for Mothers for Peace, “The issues raised by Dr. Bird are novel and complex, and they raise enormous implications for public safety. Therefore, it is crucial that the review process must be both rigorous and transparent.”
Caroline Leary, General Counsel for the Environmental Working Group, stated, “The alarming potential for a major seismic event at Diablo Canyon warrants an independent, thorough and transparent hearing process.”
Friends of the Earth’s Legal Director, Hallie Templeton, noted that “The procedural measures demanded by the groups are well-established steps for ensuring that NRC enforcement proceedings regarding significant safety issues such as these are comprehensive and credible. The public deserves no less.”