ML15275A214

Comment (39) of Bonnie Raitt Opposing the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant License Renewal

ML15275A214
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	08/05/2015
From:	Raitt B - No Known Affiliation
To:	Rules, Announcements, and Directives Branch
References
80FR37664 00039, NRC-2009-0552
Download: ML15275A214 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

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Rait÷August 5, 2015 Honorable Commissioners:

Good afternoon, my name is Bonnie Raitt.Thank you for letting us submit this testimony today. As I'm sure you're aware, your responsibility for regulating these two reactors affects us all.Having lived within a few hours drive of Diablo Canyon since its beginning, I have been deeply concerned about the safety and viability of the reactors in light of past and now recent seismic studies pointing to the dangers of the plant being in such close proximity to several significant earthquake faults.As Californians, we are all worried about the devastation the radiation from Diablo could bring in the event of an earthquake or terrorist attack.We are counting on you to protect us and appreciate you considering the points we feel compelled to make here today.Now that renewable energy is so much cheaper than nuclear, we wonder why the plant is operating at all.Renewables can easily supplant all the energy Diablo produces.

They will also create far more jobs than are currently sustained at the plant.We're concerned about the good people still working at Diablo, but we know many of them could stay on to decommission the reactors once their time comes to an end.P.O. 626, Los 90078 The owners of Fukushima repeatedly assured the public that its American-made reactors would withstand an earthquake and a tsunami.Neither was true.Why would we believe the same assurances about Diablo?We are told that because Diablo is on a high bluff , it won't be affected by a tsunami.But the intake pipes are at sea level. Please explain to us how they are protected.

We have also seen at Fukushima that the owner, Tokyo Electric Power, has not been held financially responsible for the damage it's done to the health and property of people in the area.In fact, thanks to government bailouts, Tepco has turned Fukushima into a profit center.Because of the Price-Anderson Act, that would likely be the case at Diablo Canyon as well.If there's a major catastrophe at Diablo, PG&E has very limited liability.

And if put in charge of the clean-up, even after a terrible accident like Fukushima, the company could continue to make money. Tepco certainly has.In that context, why would we ever believe PG&E can be trusted to keep those reactors safe?P.O. Boxc 626, Los An~ele~s, Californiia 90078 We also know that the 2200 megawatts Diablo produces will be quickly replaced with solar and wind power, and that those renewable sources will create far more jobs than there are now at Diablo.Shutting it down will mean that jobs for solar installers, wind power technicians and the like will multiply to fill the gap.In the meantime, we have to ask you: Why is Dr. Michael Peck not being listened to?And why is he no longer working at Diablo Canyon?Dr. Peck was your own top inspector at the site. As we all know, he has warned that Diablo can't withstand the shocks that could be easily delivered by the dozen fault lines in the area.Those fault lines had not been discovered before construction began in 1968.The Hosgri was found by Shell Oil while Diablo was being built.The rest we learned about later.The newly found Shoreline Fault crosses within less than a thousand yards of the reactor cores.How can we believe that Diablo is strong enough to withstand earthquakes coming from these fault lines if they were not accounted for in the original blueprints and final construction more than 40 years ago?We know that Diablo is just 45 miles from the San Andreas fault. The quake that destroyed Fukushima was twice that distance from the reactors there.P.O. 3oxc 626, Los Ang~eles, California 90078 There's no time today to discuss the NRC's cozy relationship with the industry it's supposed to regulate.

That would take hours.So given our limited time here, we want to urge you to finally act as truly independent regulators.

We ask you to put the health and safety of the public first ... .ahead of the short-term needs of PG&E, ahead of the agenda of the nuclear power industry.It's worth noting again: Dr. Michael Peck is clearly the expert who knows most about Diablo's ability to withstand an earthquake.

He does not believe it can.Why was he removed from his position listened to?here? And why isn't he being For the safety of California, we ask you to shut Diablo now.Thank you for this opportunity to speak strongly and from my heart.**END**P.O. 626, Los Aneie~s, Californiia 90078