Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is an aging powder keg
The entire California coastline lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire earthquake zone, which has become much more active in recent years. As the Earth’s polar caps and glaciers melt at an ever-accelerating rate, the reduced weight on both the top and bottom of our planet is causing the Earth’s tectonic plates to shift. This increased movement is responsible for larger and more frequent earthquakes.
The Diablo Cove Fault that runs east to west directly under the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant’s Unit One Reactor and turbine building is seismically linked to the Shoreline Fault, the Hosgri Fault, the San Andreas Fault and the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The power stored in this combined network of fault systems can create an earthquake exceeding Diablo Canyon’s safeguards. The idea that nuclear power plants are durable enough to withstand strong earthquakes and other external shocks is a total myth. Why must we continue to live with this unnecessary danger?
It is no longer rational for us to suffer the risks posed by the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. We need to remove this aging hazard from our coastline as soon as possible.
Harvey Sherback, Berkeley
This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is an aging powder keg."