BREAKING NEWS:
California energy policy leader John Geesman to lead legal intervention in CPUC nuclear proceedings on behalf of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
John Geesman–former California Energy Commissioner and leading foe of PG&E’s failed Prop 16–will spearhead the Alliance’s challenge at the California Public Utilities Commission to PG&E’s request for an additional $47 million in ratepayer funds for seismic studies at Diablo Canyon….What are we really paying for, and who is qualified to judge it? Read the press release:
http://a4nr.org/?p=1904
ALLIANCE VICTORY AT PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION–
JUDGE REJECTS PG&E’s FUNDING FOR LICENSE RENEWAL !
Read the Alliance press release:
http://a4nr.org/?p=1880
READ THE LATEST NEWS COVERAGE HERE:
http://www.independent.com/news/2012/jan/05/diablo-canyon-cost-recovery-denied/
and
http://www.newtimesslo.com/breaking-news/7123/cpuc-denies-pge-diablo-funding-application/
What IF California lost its nuclear power plants? Does the state have a “Plan B” to deal with this? Read the probing essay by energy policy expert John Geesman here:
http://www.cacurrent.com/storyDisplay.php?sid=5833
Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility prevails:
Orange County residents will finally get answers to seismic questions at San Onofre Nuclear Plant…
Testifying before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in San Francisco today, Rochelle Becker of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility defended the rights of ratepayers to have an independent panel of seismic experts from state agencies review the scope of the proposed $64 million seismic studies for SoCal Edisons’ San Onofre nuclear plant.
The California Energy Commission and the state legislature had required that seismic studies be completed before they could give their go-ahead for any relicensing of the aging reactors. Similar studies are in the works for Diablo Canyon, and an independent peer-review panel is providing oversight.
In contrast, both the internal ombudsman at the CPUC and SoCal Edison opposed the studies as either not having a “legal” directive or requiring external agency oversight. Ms. Becker, a veteran of the controversial 1980s CPUC case involving Diablo Canyon–where lack of seismic oversight led to $4 billion in ratepayer cost overruns—reminded all the parties that in a post-Fukushima, post-San Bruno world—the stakes are too high to let the utility police themselves. “The Alliance doesn’t oppose funding these studies, and hopes they will provide badly needed information. But we need to know that Edison is looking in the right places to find the problems. If the Public Utilities Commission is only accepting the utility’s word for it—as they did at San Bruno—we are not protected.”
Happily for Orange County and San Diego residents, after two days of witnesses and testimony, the judge seems to agree. In announcing his “preliminary” decision, he stated he intends to support the creation of an independent peer-review panel made up of members from the Coastal Commission, Energy Commission, California Geologic Survey and Seismic Safety Commission. More eyes looking at the study plan means less chance Edison failing to find any problems.
The Alliance is grateful to all our supporters who made our participation possible – now please support our next round of seismic hearings at the CPUC–and donate NOW!
READ THE TRANSCRIPTS OF THE HEARINGS !
http://a4nr.org/?p=1818
Once Through Cooling (OTC) at Nuclear Power Plants?? California must decide!
The State Water Board must decide how to regulate the use of Once-Through-Cooling (OTC) at California’s nuclear power plants. These reactors suck ONE BILLION gallons of ocean water per day through the heat exchangers, causing damage to the marine environment. By 2015, the state must decide if alternative cooling methods are possible to continue operating the plants. A draft plan for hiring consultants to do the studies needed is in the works, and the Alliance’s executive director, Rochelle Becker, was appointed on the oversight committee. To learn more about the effects of once through cooling, watch this 5 minute video clip from the Alliance’s documentary film featuring Dave Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Stanford attorney Deborah Sivas:
NRC held public meeting on Waste Storage in San Luis Obispo on October 6, 2011
The NRC held one of only three national meetings to get public input on plans for the environmental impact report for the revised Waste Confidence Decision. What issues and concerns arise with a plan to store waste on site for at least 60 years and possibly 300? The Alliance spoke at the well attended meeting. Read our comments here:
http://a4nr.org/?p=1707
ALSO ATTENDING THE MEETING WAS ALLIANCE BOARD MEMBER DR. SAM CASALINA, 
ASKING THE NRC TECHNICAL QUESTIONS…
ALLIANCE BOARD MEMBER FROM SAN CLEMENTE, JUDY JONES (right) WITH ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROCHELLE BECKER AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR DAVID WEISMAN (left), AT THE NRC MEETING
All messed up and no place to GO!
Alliance tackles long-term federal radioactive waste storage plans…read coverage of our California-focused initiative here:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker/2011/sep/12/seeking-solutions-for-nuclear-waste-storage/#.Tm-QHNiQwyc.email
Earthquake Alarms?
NRC hits the snooze button!
Read the latest op-ed by the Alliance on the NRC’s slow response to growing earthquake hazards….
HEED THE NUCLEAR WAKE UP CALL
This year, a tragic mix of earthquakes and nuclear power at Fukushima rocked us with a global wake-up call. How has the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission responded? By hitting the snooze button.
Even as we write, they continue to shuffle their feet at a zombielike pace while debating implementation of the most timid reforms. For residents of seismically situated San Luis Obispo, this comes as no surprise. The NRC’s sleep-inducing obfuscation began just one year ago today, at their SLO “seismic workshop.”
Read more: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/09/07/1747228/viewpoint-heed-the-nuclear-wake.html#ixzz1XTUu50kJ
Latest A.P. investigative report reveals:
Quake risk to reactors greater than thought
The risk that an earthquake would cause a severe accident at a U.S. nuclear plant is greater than previously thought, 24 times as high in one case, according to an AP analysis of preliminary government data.
Read more:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/09/01/1738697/ap-impact-quakes-pose-greater.html#ixzz1WqikalfA
What can the state of California do to protect itself from aging reactors in dangerous seismic areas?
Watch A4NR’s Rochelle Becker explain our state’s rights in this clip from a new, multi-media investigation by journalist Sam Osborn!
In his new report, “Under the Influence–The Nuclear Landscape,” Journalist Sam Osborn of the USC Annenberg School of Communications has created an interactive investigative report on the influence of money and lobbying to forward the nuclear power industry agenda. He puts a special focus on the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and its consequences in seismically active California.
Read and watch the full report at:
http://usc.news21.com/sam/home
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California Energy Commission hearing on future of nuclear power held in Sacramento–industry reps were grilled by state regulators. Over 2,300 comments were sent to the commission!
As part of their bi-annual Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) the CEC held a day-long workshop in Sacramento on July 26. You can read the transcript at:
And you can download the presentations at:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/2011_energypolicy/documents/2011-07-26_workshop/presentations/
The Alliance has prepared a document outlining our concerns and requests for the CEC. To read the Alliance statement, download here:
http://a4nr.org/?p=1543
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NATIONWIDE PBS T.V. PROGRAM PROFILES SEISMIC PROBLEMS AT DIABLO CANYON !
“DOUBLE FAULT AT DIABLO” featured on
NEED TO KNOW on PBS
In a joint investigation with the Center for Investigative Reporting and Capital Public Radio, NEED TO KNOW brings you this Watch List report. See State Senator Dr. Sam Blakeslee, US Geological Survey Geologist Dr. Jeanne Hardebeck and California Energy Commissioner James Boyd discuss the troubling new seismic concerns at Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. This well researched story packs a lot of information into 20 minutes! Click the link below to watch the entire program:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/video-double-fault-nuclear-safety-at-diablo-canyon/10457/
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ALLIANCE A HIT AT M.U.S.E. CONCERT !
Thousands gathered at the Shoreline Amphitheatre this past weekend to hear legendary rockers like Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Bonnie Raitt lead an all-star lineup in a benefit for the anti-nuclear movement.
Hundreds of concert goers took a minute to click-and-send a letter to their California legislator and Governor Brown asking for a phase out of nuclear power.
The Alliance will be returning to Sacramento to follow up on these messages and make sure your voices are heard.
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NRC 90 Day review of “Lesson’s Learned from Fukushima” released! How will California’s reactors be affected–and how much will it COST to make changes ?
Reuters reports, “…the bottom-line impact of Fukushima on the U.S. fleet of 104 reactors could take most of the next decade to calculate….The changes could be expensive for plant owners, such as Exelon, Entergy and PG&E…”
Read the full NRC report here: http://a4nr.org/?p=1524
OR, READ A REVIEW OF THE NRC REPORT BY DR. ARJUN MAKHIJANI OF THE INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH. IS THE NRC MOVING TOO SLOWLY? ARE THERE GLARING OMISSIONS IN THEIR REPORT? READ THE CRITIQUE HERE:
http://a4nr.org/?p=1535
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Meanwhile…
BACK AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION…
On July 7, Rochelle Becker and David Weisman appeared before Administrative Law Judge Robert Barnett to oppose “suspension” of PG&E’s request for $85 million in ratepayer dollars to fund their Diablo Canyon license renewal process. For nearly TWO YEARS the Alliance has maintained that no ratepayers funds should be allowed until all the state’s recommended seismic studies are complete and independently peer reviewed. The Alliance called for a complete “dismissal” of PG&E’s application. Executive Director Rochelle Becker made the point that by 2015, when the studies will be done, many of the cost estimates will be out of date, or subject to possible retrofitting (as happened back in the 1970s when the Hosgri fault was discovered, costing billions more!). The Judge was critical of PG&E. His decision is pending.
READ COVERAGE OF THE HEARING HERE:
http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/6385/somebody-will-pay/
READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE HEARING:
http://a4nr.org/?p=1519
READ THE OPINION PIECE OF THE ALLIANCE:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/07/14/1682895/viewpoint-fooled-again-and-again.html
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FOR A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PERSPECTIVE….
AT THE SAN ONOFRE REACTORS THE ALLIANCE INITIATED AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON EVACUATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE ISSUES IN THE WAKE OF FUKUSHIMA.
With financial support from David Crosby and Graham Nash, “emergency evacuation route signs” were made available through San Clemente Green for distribution. The high visibility campaign attracted press attention. Read all about it:
100 signs showing evacuation routes in case of a radioactive emergency are being placed on private property with consent of landowners in a 10- to 20-mile radius of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, according to the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility and San Clemente Green. READ MORE IN THE O.C. REGISTER:
ALSO AT SAN ONOFRE: The Alliance weighed in at the California Public Utilities Commission on the subject of $64 million in funding for new seismic studies at the San Onofre nuclear plant. PG&E received $17 million for their seismic studies, why should SONGS cost FOUR TIMES THAT AMOUNT? The Alliance, officially an intervener in the funding case, raised that question, as reported here in the San Diego READER:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker/2011/jul/11/local-utilities-64m-request-delayed/
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DIABLO RELICENSING DELAYED !
IT SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN A NUCLEAR TRAGEDY IN JAPAN TO GET THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION TO ACT…BUT AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF REQUESTS BY THE ALLIANCE AND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE NRC HAS PUT THE DIABLO CANYON RELICENSING PROCESS ON HOLD. READ THE ALLIANCE’S STATEMENT HERE:
http://a4nr.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/060711-A4NR-PR-NRC-stay.pdf
AND READ ABOUT IT HERE:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/06/08/1634840/diablo-canyon-nuclear-license.html
http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/6192/nrc-delays-diablo-relicensing/
AND FOR A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PERSPECTIVE:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/san-307192-nuclear-onofre.html