Sen. Barbara Boxer wants “heads to roll” at the government’s nuclear regulator for misrepresenting a critical review of a California nuclear plant.
The Californian and top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee scolded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at a Wednesday hearing to review the commission’s fiscal 2016 budget request, leveling accusations that the commission attempted to misrepresent poor safety findings on a plant in her state last year.
In September, a report found that the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, the last one in California, was woefully unprotected from seismic activity and earthquakes. The findings were made known after the utility that owns the plant, Pacific Gas and Electric, submitted a review of seismic preparedness that is a federal requirement of operating the plant.
Boxer said her staff found that an internal memo circulated by the commission’s public affairs office ahead of the review’s release included talking points directing commission members to say “Diablo Canyon is safe.”
She described it as “shocking,” reiterating that the talking points were issued in August ahead of the September findings, allegedly guiding the commission to state the opposite of the report’s findings.
Long-time Republican commissioner Kristine Svinicki responded to the accusations, saying, “I believe this may be under investigation,” but could not confirm the details.
Svinicki was appointed by former President George W. Bush. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency with a chairman and four commissioners with equal representation from both political parties. The party in control of the White House holds sway over the chairmanship.
Boxer pressed Svinicki on the investigation, saying “this is appalling” and “heads should roll on this.” The senator said talking points should not go out before the commission receives a key safety report. Svinicki said the commission would get back to her.
Boxer also admonished the commission for not implementing most of the safety recommendations made in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in Japan.
The Japanese disaster was a global wake-up call to the risks of operating nuclear power plants, especially near earthquake-prone areas.
After the Fukushima safety review was conducted by the commission in 2011, the San Onofre power plant in California was closed, leaving Diablo Canyon as the only remaining nuclear plant in the Golden State.
