Calif. coastal panel denies permit for offshore earthquake study near nuclear power plant

[bananas]

Source: Associated Press

Citing harm to marine life, California coastal regulators on Wednesday soundly rejected a utility’s plan to map offshore earthquake faults near a nuclear power plant by blasting loud air cannons.

The unanimous vote by the California Coastal Commission came after an hours-long public hearing attended by environmentalists, fishermen and residents who were overwhelmingly opposed to the seismic testing.

The proposed survey by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. involves firing sonic pulses into the ocean. Sensors on the seafloor would pick up the echoes to create 3-D maps of geologic faults that the utility said are needed to understand the seismic hazards around the Diablo Canyon facility.

<snip>

The commission’s staff had urged the panel to reject the plan. In a report this month, the staff said sonic blasts would cause “significant and unavoidable impacts to marine resources.” More than 7,000 sea mammals would be disturbed by the ear-piercing noise, including fin whales, blue whales, humpback whales, and harbor porpoises.

<snip>



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/calif-coastal-panel-rejects-utilitys-proposal-for-mapping-quake-faults-near-nuclear-plant/2012/11/14/13474bfe-2ec1-11e2-b631-2aad9d9c73ac_story.html

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Unanimous decision!

[pinto]

1. Two thumbsup!

Unanimous...

[flamingdem]

2. Hooray for sanity

Now does this mean they won't reopen the plant?

[NYC_SKP]

3. Reopen? I don't think it's closed.

they had a jellyfish problem, then a transformer, each shut down one of the two reactors, but the plant remains open AFAIK.

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/san-luis-obispo-county/Diablo-Canyon-Reactor-is-Shut-Down-173889611.html

[flamingdem]

4. That's right, I thought this was San Onofre

Still waking up, zzzz

[Puzzledtraveller]

5. Is there a potential hazard that would require this mapping?

As in, we sure as heck would want to mitigate the damages done to a nuclear plant in the event of an earthquake, at that point, there would be no marine life left. Just asking.

[valerief]

6. Yeah, it sounds like more of a nuclear industry win than a fish win. nt

[bananas]

7. For one thing, it's near a fault that wasn't discovered until 2008

There may be other undiscovered faults in the area. The article mentions: "Diablo Canyon sits within three miles of two underwater earthquake faults, including one that was discovered in 2008."