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The devil’s in the details of NRC Diablo ruling

Another chapter was added to the divisive saga of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, thanks to a federal regulator’s recent decision.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a ruling on a petition by Friends of the Earth (FOE), an environmental activist group, that called for a shutdown of the plant over safety concerns. The NRC’s ruling didn’t shutter Diablo’s operations, but the group’s still claiming a victory.

The devil's in the details of…

The Diablo Canyon reactors and the fight for a safe, nuclear-free California (updating)
The Diablo Canyon reactors and the fight for a safe, nuclear-free California (updating)

Below is an ongoing timeline of developments regarding the Diablo Canyon nuclear reactors. Check back for news updates as they happen.

Local residents voice concerns about reactors in advance of NRC chairman visit
Local residents voice concerns about reactors in advance of NRC chairman visit

This morning, standing on the dunes above the Pacific Ocean near the San Onofre nuclear reactor site, San Onofre Safety, San Clemente Green, ROSE and other local groups held a press conference ahead of the afternoon visit to the reactors from the NRC chairman, Greg Jazcko.

The groups organized the event to raise public concerns about the recent string of safety issues regarding the reactors' steam generator tubes -- and the need to…

Shut down San Onofre: Dangerous nuclear reactors pose too great a threat
Shut down San Onofre: Dangerous nuclear reactors pose too great a threat

San Onofre reactor safety failures remind us (again) why the United States cannot afford the risks of nuclear reactors.

In late January of this year, Friends of the Earth, while preparing an analysis on the Fukushima-daiichi nuclear accident, was investigating how the implications of that accident would impact nuclear safety in the United States. The Fukushima reactors were decades-old and operating under poor regulatory oversight -- and the United States has many reactors operating…

New television ad highlights San Onofre reactor problems
New television ad highlights San Onofre reactor problems

Friends of the Earth launched a new television ad campaign today targeting the utility Southern California Edison, the operator of the troubled San Onofre nuclear reactors, which are currently closed due to serious safety problems. The ad parallels the threat from San Onofre’s troubled reactors with the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan -- and notes that eight million Americans live within 50 miles of San Onofre, the distance the U.S. government advised should be evacuated…

Nuclear engineer warns: Keep troubled San Onofre reactors shut down
Nuclear engineer warns: Keep troubled San Onofre reactors shut down

Friends of the Earth released today a new analysis by one of the nation’s leading independent nuclear engineers, Arnie Gunderson. The report has revealed serious unresolved safety problems at Southern California Edison’s San Onofre nuclear reactors which could lead to significant radiation releases if the plant is allowed to restart.  The paper also documents that Edison misled the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission about changes made to the plant, which have led to unforeseen and undiagnosed…