Top federal nuclear regulator lobbied over earthquake risks to Diablo Canyon Power Plant

The head of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday pledged to review the seismic risks of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California as NRC moves forward with Pacific Gas & Electric’s application to renew the license.

In a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) pressed NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson (1:44 in.) on the threats seismic activity poses to the aging nuclear plant.

Hanson brushed off any concerns he and the NRC had about seismic hazards to Diablo Canyon, telling the committee, “We’ll take another look at that as part of the license renewal process.” President Hanson noted that the NRC will hold a public meeting in Diablo Canyon on May 3.

Padilla-Hanson warned that NRC staff attending the public meeting would likely be given a briefing on the seismic hazards of the facility.

“The general indifference of Chairman Hanson and the NRC about such a serious and potentially catastrophic disaster as the earthquake that hits nearby Diablo Canyon is absolutely appalling,” said Ken Cook, chair of the Environmental Working Group and California resident.

“But it’s no surprise, given the NRC’s decision last month to yield to PG&E over the company’s application for a license exemption,” Cook said.

On March 2, ignoring outdated precedents and laws and regulations, the NRC gave PG&E the go-ahead to operate the last remaining nuclear plant in the state for up to another 20 years without a safety review or license renewal.

In its decision, the NRC exempted PG&E from regulations that require a license renewal review by the NRC before it can operate its two Diablo Canyon reactors after operating license expiration dates in 2024 and 2025.

The decision is unprecedented. The NRC has never approved an exemption for a license renewal applicant that would allow them to operate a nuclear reactor beyond the legal limit of 40 years without a comprehensive safety and environmental review.

The NRC rules recognize that continued operation of the reactor in the past presents a different safety risk than the operational risk of the first 40 years of operation of the facility and requires a separate review.

Major safety and environmental risks will only increase if Diablo Canyon’s twin reactors continue to pass their expiration dates. The reactors are located on a network of earthquake fault lines. A recent New York Times article described how similar the fault lines under Diablo are to those that caused the recent 7.8 earthquake that killed nearly 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria combined.

The EWG, along with San Luis Obispo-based Mothers for Peace and Friends of the Earth, adamantly opposed the exemption, petitioning the NRC to reconsider its decision. The groups are now considering next steps, including a federal court action on NRC’s clearly illegal and dangerous ruling to allow the plant to continue operating without a safety review.

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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through unique research, advocacy, and education tools, EWG leads consumer choice and civic action.

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