Environmentalists call for shutdown of Diablo nuclear reactor, citing catastrophe risk

Two environmental groups called on federal authorities Thursday to immediately shut down one of two reactors at California’s last remaining nuclear power plant, citing safety concerns that they say warrant additional testing at the Diablo Canyon facility.

In a filing submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace cited concerns with a pressure vessel located in Diablo Canyon’s Unit 1 reactor, which they said had not been tested in nearly 20 years and risks catastrophe.

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Pacific Gas & Electric “has repeatedly postponed essential metallurgical tests and ultrasound inspections over the past two decades” on the vessel, the groups argued, risking deterioration or other damage that could make the vessel susceptible to cracking, 

“We will not sit idly by while PG&E cuts corners on Unit 1’s safety,” the Friends of the Earth’s legal director, Hallie Templeton, said in a statement.

Along with the filing, the groups submitted to NRC a lengthy report by University of California, Berkeley professor Digby Macdonald, who wrote that continuing to operate the Unit 1 reactor “poses an unreasonable risk to public health and safety due to serious indications of an unacceptable degree of embrittlement.”

“The reactor should be closed until PG&E obtains and analyzes additional data regarding its condition,” he said.

In response, PG&E spokeswoman Suzanne Hosn said Diablo has an “excellent” and safe operating record and noted that it is ranked among the highest-performing plants in the nation, according to the NRC’s latest assessment.

“Analysis has demonstrated that the reactor vessels for both Units 1 and 2 currently meet the NRC’s acceptance criteria,” Hosn said. “We are in full compliance with industry guidance and regulatory standards regarding our program to monitor, evaluate and ensure reactor vessel safety.”

The filing from the environmental groups is the latest salvo in a yearslong fight between environmental groups and PG&E, the utility that operates the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

Diablo had been slated to close in 2025, but lawmakers, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), reconsidered the plan and opted to extend its life as wildfires and drought placed the state’s grid under extreme strain, including triggering rolling blackouts in 2020.

The NRC granted PG&E approval in March to continue operating the Diablo Canyon plant past its 2025 planned closure date, so long as the utility completes a lengthy relicensing process, including a plan to address matters related to the safety and integrity of its reactors, before the end of the year.

Still, the extension of Diablo has sparked intense opposition from dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear groups‚ including the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, the Oregon Conservancy Foundation, the Snake River Alliance, and the Ohio Nuclear Free Network, which have cited concerns over the plant’s age and its proximity to earthquake faults.

Diablo Canyon, located on the coast in San Luis Obispo County, is a major power source in the state, supplying roughly 17% of California’s greenhouse-gas-free electricity supply and 8.6% of the state’s total electricity.

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A study published by the Brattle Group found that by keeping Diablo online, California could decarbonize “more quickly, more reliably, and at a lower cost,” approximately $5 billion less, than if the plant shut down in 2025.

PG&E said additional testing at Diablo is planned, though the utility did not offer specific dates for when it would occur.

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