Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee has introduced legislation that would extend to 2019 funding for the county’s emergency preparedness activities for Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

Every year, the county Office of Emergency Services receives money from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. ratepayers to coordinate preparation by various local agencies for an emergency at the plant.

Last year, the county received a little more than $1 million for this purpose.

The legislation that created this system will expire in 2009. The bill submitted by Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, would extend the life of the Nuclear Planning Assessment Special Account by a decade.

"The county approached us and asked us to work with them on this issue, and we were happy to do so," Blakeslee said. "We want to be sure that our local community has the resources it needs to discharge these very serious responsibilities."

Funding from the account is a crucial part of the county Office of Emergency Services budget. Nearly 75 percent of the office’s resources are devoted to Diablo Canyon planning, said Ron Alsop, emergency service coordinator.

The money is distributed to 37 different county departments and other local government agencies to fund a variety of programs to protect the public in the event of radiation release at the plant. Activities include drills, training of first responders and updating evacuation plans.

As written, Blakeslee’s bill would extend the account at current funding levels. But county officials are negotiating with PG&E to increase it.

The funding level can be raised annually according to the California Consumer Price Index, but this has not kept up with the costs of the program, Alsop said.

"We don’t have a total we are looking for yet," he said. "We are still crunching the numbers to see how much we are going to need."

Funding levels could be changed as the bill wends its way through the legislative process. The bill, AB 292, also covers San Onofre nuclear power plant in northern San Diego County.

The legislation is scheduled for hearings in the Assembly’s government organization and commerce and utilities committees staring in April, Blakeslee said. It was submitted Feb. 9.

Reach David Sneed at 781-7930 or dsneed@thetribunenews.com

To read this article on-line: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispotribune/16899699.htm

Visit http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_0251-0300/ab_292_bill_20070209_introduced.pdf to read the bill introduced by Sam Blakeslee.