Summer 2025 NEWSLETTER
Mothers for Peace is working to protect our world from a nuclear accident at the 1960-era Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, built above and surrounded by active earthquake faults. We are up against an increasingly disarrayed nuclear regulatory system and the deep pockets of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). We spend hundreds of hours each month conferring with experts, testifying at hearings, advancing lawsuits, combing official records, reaching out to elected leaders, publishing opinion pieces, demonstrating, tabling, educating, fundraising, petitioning agencies, and more. You can find detailed information on our work at:
We need your help in this urgent campaign to STOP DIABLO CANYON!
Donations are needed to pay for our attorneys, consultants, and expert witnesses. Our projected budget is $800,000 by the end of this year, and we’re still $200,000 short of our goal! Thank you for your consistent and generous contributions over many years.
• Online tax-deductible donations, one-time or recurring monthly
• Mail checks to: San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace PO Box 3608 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
• GoFundMe
It’s a Garden Party FUNdraiser!
Sunday, September 14, 2-4pm
Join us at a lovely home in Edna Valley to enjoy good music by Brynn Albanese and Marian Gilbert, refreshments, and the joy of spending time with like-minded friends.
Litigation Update
COST
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has refused to address whether keeping Diablo open is cost-effective and prudent which they were required to do by law – Senate Bill 846. We filed an application for rehearing and were denied. Still, we continue to participate in CPUC proceedings.
EMBRITTLEMENT
After 20 years… the ‘capsule’ to test for embrittlement of the Unit 1 reactor vessel was finally removed in April. Now we await the test results, expected in 12-18 months.
SEISMIC
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has denied our Seismic Shutdown Petition and request for reconsideration. In June, the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee heard testimony from Mothers for Peace expert Dr. Peter Bird. At the hearing, PG&E admitted it had not evaluated whether the plant could be destroyed by an earthquake on the active thrust fault directly underneath the plant.
OCEAN PERMITS
PG&E has not completed its application with the California Coastal Commission for the Consistency Review and has not applied for the Coastal Development Permit. Members of Mothers for Peace spoke at the July meeting in Pismo Beach, requesting a hearing on this matter.
The Regional Water Quality Control Board granted another waiver for the once-through cooling system for the 5-year extension but not for the 20-year license renewal that PG&E is seeking. The Clean Water Act calls for installation of cooling towers rather than the use of ocean water. A hearing on this matter is expected in 2026.
DIABLO CANYON DECOMMISSIONING ENGAGEMENT PANEL
PG&E continues to plan simultaneously for both decommissioning and continued operation. Mothers for Peace Board Member Linda Seeley remains on the Panel, representing our interests.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH LEGISLATORS
Through meetings, letters, and emails, Mothers for Peace members and its team of attorneys, consultants, and experts continue to communicate with state legislators, sharing our concerns and our evidence demonstrating that Diablo Canyon is dangerous and expensive – and its energy not needed.
In other news…
Fukushima Commemoration
March 11 was the 14th anniversary of the beginning of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe. This year, we recognized this date with public comments at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting. As Japan continues to release contaminated waste water from Fukushima, we have been collecting and sending water samples from Pismo Beach to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for analysis – to check for radiation in our local water.
Earth Day Fair
EarthFest was held at Meadow Park this year. It provided an excellent opportunity to connect and converse with people.
Environmental Defense Center TGIF!
Reaching out to communities downwind of Diablo Canyon, Mothers for Peace staffed a table at Environmental Defense Center’s TGIF! event in July.
Scholarships
In May, Mothers for Peace proudly awarded scholarships to two exemplary students whose education and career goals will have a positive impact on issues of peace, social justice, and/or the environment. We congratulate them and wish them well! This year’s scholarship winners are:
Riley Mae Reeves, Graduate of Central Coast New Tech High School; she plans to study Environmental Policy and Law.
Nora Eileen Reid, Graduate of Nipomo High School; she plans to study Marine Biology.
