Fukushima 90210

Hey Californians, you are all going to die. Not in some abstract, eventually, kind of way. But horribly. In a radioactive fire. Probably.

The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which Rolling Stone dubbed California’s “Fukushima in waiting” straddles fault lines and sits on the edge of the sea. In the wake of Fukushima, it had a safety inspection by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission on April 11.

It didn’t go well. the Bay Citizen reports:

The building that houses the plant’s fire trucks could collapse in an earthquake. Inspectors also found that power plant operators had failed to participate in required training exercises with on-site firefighters and other regional first responders. And inspectors discovered that new security fences prevented emergency hoses from reaching a water reservoir.

And then there’s this:

The plant’s back-up generators might not be usable during a disaster, because PG&E had not considered how to turn them on under adverse conditions. The generators are all stored in the same spot, which could make them “susceptible to a common made failure because of the similarities in design and location,” the report stated. Current emergency procedures require workers to enter areas that could become inaccessible owing to high levels of radiation in a disaster, according to the report.

In short, not only is Diablo Canyon a Fukushima in waiting due to its position on fault lines and the ocean, but it’s also in much worse shape to respond should something bad actually happen. If you live in California and feel like having a horrible day, you can read the complete report here.

But, hey, don’t sweat it! It’s run by PG&E. They have a fantastic safety record. I’m sure everything will be fine. 😐


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