A lawsuit filed by environmentalists alleges that California’s last remaining nuclear plant at Diablo Canyon was given secret federal approval to keep operating even though it is located near a major earthquake fault.
The suit states that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission illegally revised a part of the license relating to seismic activity for the facility in a deal with plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
The environmental group Friends of the Earth alleges that the license change was made without a public hearing as required by law. The license changes reportedly related to whether the plant – which sits atop a stretch of the Central California coast containing a series of fault lines – could withstand a major earthquake.
“This is a case where an agency is not following its own rules,” said Damon Moglen, senior strategic adviser with Friends of the Earth. “Our long-standing sense has been that this agency has far too cozy a relationship with the industry it regulates.”
A spokesperson for Pacific Gas & Electric, Blair Jones, denies allegations that the plant could not survive a serious earthquake.
“Friends of the Earth continues to mischaracterize the facts regarding seismic safety at Diablo Canyon. The facts are Diablo Canyon was built with earthquake safety at the forefront, is a seismically safe facility, and is in compliance with NRC licensing requirements,” Jones said.
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