Edison’s Handling of San Onofre Accident Troubling; California should move beyond nuclear power

Environment California

Tuesday’s emergency alert and worker evacuation called at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant is a haunting reminder of the inherent dangers of nuclear power.
 
Southern California Edison’s handling of the incident was also troubling. In speaking with members of the press, Edison was quick to state that an ammonia leak could happen “at any industrial facility” but a nuclear power plant is not your run of the mill industrial facility.
 
The fact is, the next leak could be radiation, and the evacuation not just of workers but of Los Angeles. The inherent dangers of nuclear power require plant operators to communicate with the public quickly and efficiently during any incident, not matter how small.
 
Meanwhile, in Fukushima also on Tuesday, officials there reported a new problem at their tsunami-damaged reactor. Xenon was detected giving reason to believe that new fission reactions may be happening a new.
 
Governor Brown should do what other states and countries are doing and shift away from nuclear power by shutting down California’s two coastal nuclear power plants, San Onofre and Diablo Canyon.
 
Nuclear power is just too risky.