nuclear-news

Southern California meeting- warm reception for nuclear whistleblower Arnie Gunderson

REGION: Anti-nuclear sentiment strong at San Clemente meeting, NC Times , 12 Oct 11  An anti-government, don’t-believe-what-you’re-told message about the potential dangers of nuclear power seemed to resonate with about 200 Southern California residents who came to a San Clemente meeting hall Tuesday night.
The crowd applauded a presentation by former nuclear executive and whistle-blower Arnold “Arnie” Gundersen and from others who gave presentations outlining the dangers of radiation emitting from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which had a severe accident this spring after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami inundated the coastal power plant.

Tuesday’s meeting was hosted by the San Clemente City Council and was organized by local environmental group San Clemente Green, which has taken an aggressive anti-nuclear energy stance in recent years.

The meeting follows a previous gathering on Sept. 28 where the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and representatives from Southern California Edison presented the council and public with reassurances that Edison’s San Onofre nuclear plant would be able to withstand the worst earthquake and tsunami that local conditions are likely to throw at the region.

At Tuesday’s meeting, however, speakers like Gundersen, a nuclear engineer, took exception with some often-cited statements made by the government and the utility.

Gunderson told the crowd that the real battle for the future of nuclear energy in California is over the “design basis” of existing nuclear plants. He said that the computer programs that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission uses to calculate the cost and benefit of using nuclear power instead of other sources of energy production are set up to favor utilities.

Gundersen urged the local public to hold regulators’ feet to the fire when they calculate the true risk of earthquakes and tsunamis to San Onofre, especially when it comes time to re-license the plant.

“Unless citizens’ groups force that program to be used properly, it will be distorted by the agency as it has (been) in the past,” he said.    http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_9f265564-21ce-592c-80d0-e8752b114806.html#ixzz1ahySLekw

October 13, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general