nuclear-news

Residents Want Timely San Onofre Radiation Data, Voice of OC, 22 Feb 12, Nick Gerda Concerned by recent leaks at the nearby San Onofre nuclear power plant, several local residents are imploring San Clemente to make independent radiation monitoring information available to the public in real time.

Ten speakers at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting told city leaders they were worried about safety at the 44-year-old plant, which can provide power for up to 1.4 million Southern California homes. The plant remainsshut down three weeks after a minor radiation leak.

Some asked that the city provide real-time access to data from independent radiation detection stations within the city. “I understand that there is no independent monitoring,” said Mel Kernahan. “I think it’s absolutely mandatory that you have some kind of [independent] monitoring.”

Others said the meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant last March, which displaced more than 88,000 people, underscores the importance of independent monitoring……

San Onofre’s proximity to a populated area — San Clemente has around 63,000 residents — sets it apart from the state’s only other facility at Diablo Canyon southwest of San Louis Obispo. That reactor is 7 miles from the nearest town, Baywood-Los Osos, which has a population of about 14,000.

Some of the speakers on Tuesday also asked the city to find funding for a study to determine whether city residents have a higher-than-expected cancer rate.

Others asked the city to participate in a March 10 event observing the anniversary of the Fukushima incident.

The council took no action on either request.  http://voiceofoc.org/oc_coast/article_37cbf840-5d6a-11e1-8dc1-001871e3ce6c.html