“Seismic Shift” New Report from Union of Concerned Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists has just released a new report, “SEISMIC SHIFT, Diablo Canyon Literally and Figuratively on Shaky Ground.” The author is Dave Lochbaum, Director of the Nuclear Safety Project.
From the report:
Five years ago, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) about a newly discovered fault offshore from its Diablo Canyon nuclear plant that could cause more ground motion during an earthquake than the plant was designed to withstand. In other words, there was a gap between seismic protection levels of the plant and the seismic threat levels it faced….
This report describes the federal requirements governing seismic risks at nuclear power plants, the regulatory requirements specifically applied to Diablo Canyon, the identified seismic hazards that may exceed the mandated seismic protection levels, and the precedents at nuclear facilities in California and elsewhere in the United States in which the NRC took steps to protect people from undue risks—in other words, the measures the NRC is now sidestepping at Diablo Canyon.
READ THE FULL REPORT:
