David Sneed’s report of Nov. 14, “Permit for seismic testing off Diablo Canyon is denied,” merits comment.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace celebrates the Coastal Commission’s denial of a permit for the acoustic testing technique proposed by PG&E, but it also holds that updated seismic information is vital.

At Fukushima, scientists thought they knew what the worst-case seismic scenario could be, and the consequences of not looking further continue to be catastrophic. We must learn from this tragedy and not repeat that error at Diablo Canyon.

Members of MFP attended three days of presentations by geologists and seismologists at the Senior Seismic Hazard Assessment Committee (SSHAC) meeting in early November. SSHAC is a three-year process to evaluate current data about seismic hazards for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. Scientists have not agreed on an analysis of which of the 13-plus faults in the area might be connected and what that might mean for ground motion in the event of a fault rupture.

When Diablo is finally shut down, the 6 million pounds of highly radioactive waste stored on site will remain there for a very long time. In order to best safeguard life on land and in the ocean, the more knowledge we have about seismic hazards, the better.