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PG&E, NRC respond to renewed concern over Diablo Canyon's earthquake safety

Flickr/Tracey Adams

Pacific Gas and Electric Company released a report Wednesday saying Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is seismically safe and able to withstand the largest potential earthquakes for the area.

The report was submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and presented to the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Independent Peer Review Panel.

In a statement to the media, the utility included quotes from scientists that highlight the research effort.

“Vast resources have been devoted to examine onshore and offshore fault systems in the region of interest to better understand potential hazards,” said Neal Driscoll, a professor of geology and geophysics at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. “In my opinion, outside of oil and gas exploration, the offshore areas by Diablo Canyon are one of the most studied continental regions in the world.”

This official response comes weeks after a conflicting opinion by a nuclear safety inspector was made public and generated renewed concern among environmental groups over the nuclear plant's safety.

At issue is the newly discovered Shoreline fault and inspector Michael Peck's recommendation that PG&E have its license to operate Diablo amended.

NRC Executive Director of Operations Mark Satorius released documents this week related to the organization's handling of its "differing professional opinion" procedure regarding Peck's seismic issues at Diablo Canyon. The documents support findings of the plant's seismic safety.

"... an amendment to the license was not required because the Shoreline fault zone ground motions do not exceed the levels evaluated in the plant's design and licensing," an NRC independent reviewing panel concluded in a statement included as part of the NRC's document release.

But some groups working to permanently close the power plant aren't buying into PG&E and the NRC's new reports.

The environmental group Friends of the Earth, the same group that helped to close the San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California last year, issued a statement saying, "Diablo Canyon could never be built on such an earthquake-prone site today. It should not be allowed to operate for another day without being closed and subjected to a full public safety review."

Friends of the Earth filed a petition last month with the NRC in a similar effort to close Diablo. It argues the plant's design may not be able to withstand earthquakes generated by adjacent fault lines.