FEINSTEIN, BOXER WANT NRC TO ADDRESS SEISMIC THREATS TO CALIFORNIA’S NUCLEAR PLANTS

US Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California in a joint letter asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission if the agency “will address all of the threats, including seismic threats, described in the 2008 report at these facilities.” They asked the commission to “perform a thorough inspection at these two plants to evaluate their safety and emergency preparedness plans.”

The Senators’ letter lists a series of questions on plant design and operations; type of reactor; and preparedness to withstand an earthquake or tsunami and other potential threats. They point out that about 7.4 million people live within 50 miles of the San Onofre plant in San Diego county and that some 424,000 live within 50 mils of the Diablo Canyon plant operated by PG&E near San Luis Obispo.

Boxer is chair of the Senate Environment and Public works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the NRC. Feinstein is chair of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees the NRC’s budget.