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Diablo Canyon is closing, but its negative footprint will linger

July 24, 2016

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant

OPINION by JIM GRIFFIN

Diablo Canyon Power Plant is finally shutting down. It should never have been built in the first place, especially over two earthquake prone fault lines.

In fact, as we can see now, no nuclear power plants should ever have been built. Sooner or later they always leak radiation, and nuclear fuel waste takes 250,000 years to decay into lead — a massive and mounting problem.

Nuclear waste will be a huge issue at Diablo many years after the complex closes. No Co2, no addition to climate change, true. But there is totally toxic radiation that no container material can outlast. Nuclear power has always been a bad idea, good on paper, but only if you ignore half the story. Horrible in reality.

PG&E is an especially bad player. Think of all the people poisoned in Hinkley, Calif. (Erin Brockovich) and many other places, and all the pollution and the gas line accidents.

Think of the totally cowed Public Utilities Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, corrupted and co-opted through a cozy relationship with PG&E and other big energy corporations. Corporations that then get away with murder and receive a slap on the wrist for their crimes, if anything.

As long as PG&E and other major utilities exist as huge profit obsessed corporations, they will manipulate all types of energy sources and markets, along with the media and the politicians, keeping prices high and with everything tightly in their control.

The Diablo complex doesn’t begin to close for eight full years — more than enough time for PG&E to pull strings and grease palms to have the recent agreement/settlement gutted or greatly watered down. Watch and see.

In my opinion, “public” utilities should really be publically owned, and run democratically, co-operatively and transparently by and in the interests of consumers, not investors and fat-cat executives. This is the only way that renewable energy, alternative energy, energy storage, and all other possibilities can be developed and provided in a socially responsible way. And nuclear power ended forever.

Jim Griffin has lived in San Luis Obispo for five years. Jim has been a progressive political activist since his mid-teens, taking part in anti-war movements, the civil rights movement, labor union struggles, and other movements for human, civil, and democratic rights.


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Ahhh,another piece of work that moves into our area and thinks he knows it all,go back to where you came from and stop trying to fix our problems as you see them, we have enough “progressive liberals” here already.

These people that move into our area just drive me up a wall, I met some lady with the same credentials as this guy at a sewer board meeting in MB she also had been here for 5 years and knew all the problems we had here in town,of course the perceived problems as slung by the mayor and his ilk about the existing sewer plant.

What gives with people like this that they feel the need to come help us when they know nothing about the area they just moved to.


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Is Jim a regular columnist now? If so he needs a new assignment. He had exhausted this subject last week.


“In fact, as we can see now, no nuclear power plants should ever have been built.”


“We?” Jim, now I’m worried. I thought you were the only one who objected.


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The simple economic solution is to lessen the demand, the single greatest burden being the State’s population.


In the US typical household power consumption is about 11,700 kWh each year: http://bit.ly/2a4xZqf. The average person uses approximately 562,500 kWh over a lifetime: http://bit.ly/2a4xZqf (2013)


Instead of pointing fingers at each other, we must all take charge to lessen our energy requirements until other sources of energy are in operation that can replace the loss of Diablo.


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Besides nothing, is there anything that Mr. Griffin likes. Appears that he exists in a negative environment. Certainly would ne nice if at times he could comment on something nice.

If he feared Diablo Power Plant I wonder why he moved here 5 years ago?


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And the rods? Are they going to remain in the pool on-site?


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If your wonderful government would have lived up to their end of the agreement, they used fuel would have a nice SAFE place to go!

They will be in the pool only around five years before dry cask storage.


Facts?????????????


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Um…Fat cat executives like Adam Hill. We should all sit in our cave lighting farts for power. Of course you’ll dislike that too due to the methane in farts wont you?


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“In my opinion, “public” utilities should really be publically owned,”… Really, Jim, you this government could run this any better. Can you show or tell us one thing that government has run successfully: Medicare – NOPE, Social Security – NOPE, IRS – NOPE, Military – NOPE, EPA – NOPE, Postal Service – NOPE, Veterans Administration – NOPE, Utilities Commission, NOPE, Coastal Commission – NOPE, Anything – Nope!


Our local government and schools have 8 years to begin their budget cutbacks, set priorities, and learn to live within their budgets. San Luis Coastal Schools passed a school bond Measure D which passed in November 2015 so they should use it very wisely and not for luxary dreams of the future, City of SLO passed their Sales Tax Measure G in November 2014 plus all the new businesses and sales tax revenues in the pass 10 years and the new businesses and their sales tax in the near future. The County is proposing a 1/2 cent sales tax increase which they say is for roads but in reality only 25% is for roads, 25% for public transportation which means anything the County wants to label transportation, 25% bike paths and 25% for the politicians! I say use this well and don’t come back back to the taxpayers like cry babies wanting more. Do your jobs which you are overpaid for and do it well!


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We live in a country based on capitalism and we’ve done pretty good compared to the rest of the world so don’t argue with profits, they spend money a heck of a lot better than the government. Business at least requires people to work for a paycheck not suck off the people who do work.


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Jim, you should consider Canada as an alternative to your obvious dislike of American life.

Their socialist democracy, publicly owned (CROWN) utilities, transportation, and land would suit you well.Few nukes, anti war. anti guns, pro weed, free health care pro environment…no tankering, no pipelines and the First Nation’s folks have a say-so in all decision making.


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