By Jim Adams
Neil J. Aiken, control room foreman at PG&E's Diablo Canyon nuclear power facility, released a report in April 1998, detailing his effort to address safety concerns that were ignored by the utility. As reported in the Los Angeles Times of May 14, 1998, Mr. Aiken believes "There have been several management decisions that had disastrous plant and equipment results, followed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission complicity in deceptive identification of causes."
For example, defective circuit breakers were installed during a power outage that compromised the integrity of pumps, valves, and other safety features that receive power through those breakers. Mr. Aiken has brought his concerns to PG&E management, the NRC, and the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee. The Mothers for Peace, a San Luis Obispo organization active on Diablo Canyon issues for twenty years, urged the California Public Utilities Commission to reopen rate hearings on the plant.
The Mothers and Aiken believe that PG&E is compromising safety to save money in the new competitive climate of electricity generation. "The problem was an escalation in these things about two-and-a half years ago, and an arrogance about this stuff that bothers me," he said. "The direction of things is in a manner that leans toward less safety and greater risk."
In an related matter, PUC staff has made a surprise recommendation that no more money should be set aside for the decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon nuclear reactors. The CPUC is considering PG&E's 1999 General Rate Case which includes decommissioning issues for Diablo Canyon and Humboldt Bay (see Humboldt article). Redwood Alliance has challenged this recommendation in testimony that points out that there is a great deal of uncertainty about decommissioning large reactors. Assurance of adequate funds for decommissioning is crucial to protect the public health and safety. Eliminating funding for Diablo's eventual decommissioning at this time is premature and irresponsible.