Authored by Harvey Wasserman via CommonDreams.org
Had the previous Friday’s 7.1 earthquake and other ongoing seismic shocks hit less than 200 miles northwest of Ridgecrest/China Lake, ten million people in Los Angeles would now be under an apocalyptic cloud, their lives and those of the state and nation in radioactive ruin.
The likely human death toll would be in the millions. The likely property loss would be in the trillions. The forever damage to our species’ food supply, ecological support systems, and longterm economy would be very far beyond any meaningful calculation. The threat to the ability of the human race to survive on this planet would be extremely significant. The two cracked, embrittled, under-maintained, unregulated, uninsured, and un-inspected atomic reactors at Diablo Canyon, near San Luis Obispo, would be a seething radioactive ruin.
Their cores would be melting into the ground. Hydrogen explosions would be blasting the site to deadly dust. One or both melted cores would have burned into the earth and hit ground or ocean water, causing massive steam explosions with physical impacts in the range of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The huge clouds would send murderous radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere that would permanently poison the land, the oceans, the air… and circle the globe again and again, and yet again, filling the lungs of billions of living things with the most potent poisons humans have ever created.
In 2010, badly maintained gas pipes run by Pacific Gas & Electric blew up a neighborhood in San Bruno, killing eight people. PG&E’s badly maintained power lines have helped torch much of northern California, killing 80 people and incinerating more than 10,000 structures.
Now in bankruptcy, with its third president in two years, PG&E is utterly unqualified to run two large, old, obsolete, crumbling atomic reactors which are surrounded by earthquake faults. At least a dozen faults have been identified within a small radius around the reactors. The reactor cores are less than fifty miles from the San Andreas fault, less than half the distance that Fukushima Daiichi was from the epicenter that destroyed four reactors there.
Diablo cannot withstand an earthquake of the magnitude now hitting less than 200 miles away. In 2014, the Associated Press reported that Dr. Michael Peck, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s site inspector at Diablo, had warned that the two reactors should be shut because they can’t withstand a seismic shock like the one that has just hit so close. The NRC tried to bury Peck’s report. They attacked his findings, then shipped him to Tennessee. He’s no longer with the Commission.
All major reactor disasters have come with early warnings. A 1978 accident at Ohio’s Davis-Besse reactor presaged the 1979 disaster at Three Mile Island. The realities were hidden, and TMI spewed radiation that killed local people and animals in droves.
Soviet officials knew the emergency shut-down mechanism at Chernobyl could cause an explosion — but kept it secret. Unit Four exploded the instant the rods meant to shut it down were deployed.
Decades before disaster struck at Fukushima Daiichi, millions of Japanese citizens marched to demand atomic reactors NOT be built in a zone riddled by fault lines, washed by tsunamis.
In California, ten thousand citizens were arrested demanding the same. Diablo’s owners hid the existence of the Hosgri Fault just three miles from the site. A dozen more nearby fault lines have since been found, capable in tandem of delivering shocks like the ones shaking Ridgecrest. No significant structural improvements have been made to deal with the newfound fault lines.
The truly horrifying HBO series on Chernobyl currently topping all historic viewership charts shows just a small sample of the ghastly death and destruction that can be caused by official corruption and neglect.
Like Soviet apparatchiks, the state of California has refused to conduct independent investigations on the physical status of the two Diablo reactors. It has refused to hold public hearings on Dr. Peck’s warnings that they can’t withstand seismic shocks like the ones now being experienced so dangerously nearby. If there are realistic plans to evacuate Los Angeles and other downwind areas during reactor melt-downs/explosions, hearings on them have yet to be held.
In the wake of the 2011 explosions at Fukushima, the NRC staff compiled critical reforms for American reactors, including Diablo. But the Commission killed the proposed regulations. So nothing significant has been done to improve safety at two coastal reactors upwind of ten million people that are surrounded by earthquake faults in a tsunami zone like the one where the four Fukushima reactors have already exploded.
There are no excuses. These seismic shocks will never stop. Diablo is scheduled to shut in 2024 and 2025. But massive advances in wind, solar, batteries and efficiency have already rendered the nukes’ power unnecessary. A petition demanding Governor Newsom and the state independently investigate Diablo’s ability to operate safely is at www.solartopia.org.
That petition began circulating before these latest quakes. The continued operation of these two reactors has now gone to a whole new level of apocalyptic insanity.
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“But massive advances in wind, solar, batteries and efficiency have already rendered the nukes’ power unnecessary.”
Is this even remotely true? Is there any basis of truth behind thorium reactors I’ve just begun to read about?
I asked myself the same questions. What worries me is when does it become it isn’t what it was and what it then is what we all wish it weren’t? (;
It is what it is, until it’s not and then it ain’t.
That just makes my head hurt… ?
Monty sounded like he was channeling Bob Seger: Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then
This I get…
OMG it that Rod Sterwart? Where is Maggie anyway?
This is the only “Faces” song Stewart doesn’t sing lead. “Poor old Grand Dad” was just a verse in ’73, and I now I am him. Ooh La La.
Yeah, I know: it was intentional, heh heh. Read it aloud varying the rhythm and I hope it gives you a laugh. Would that the topic were funny! Sadly, though, it isn’t.
Nope.
The least shitty batteries I’ve seen are the LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, and they aren’t great. Greater cycle life, able to tolerate near full discharge every cycle, etc.. They’ve built a better golf cart battery. Not cheap, but then neither are deep cycle lead acid batteries.
The energy budgets I’ve heard about for solar and wind indicate that solar and wind systems consume more energy in their manufacture than either will produce over their operational life. This may have changed, but I’d be surprised if it has.
Lith iron batteries don’t seem to have the oomph of even the lead acid, (pure lead being a damn good battery). They pack plenty of juice. You can find them in Chinese pages, they are used in back up battery cases. The best rechargeable batteries are NiCad.
I’ve been hearing about thorium for decades. More theory or speculation than substance.
keep scrolling down & click the link monte put up 4 gcp–
“But massive advances in wind, solar, batteries and efficiency have already rendered the nukes’ power unnecessary.”
that one line negated the entire article–i don’t like nukes but alternative energy cannot even put a dent in our energy needs–
Nothing can match the energy out put of nuclear power . Wind , batteries , solar panels ….. what a joke. Southern California is already gone beyond saving . Import Third world you become Third world. Soon there will be rolling black outs .Then they will be begging for tax payer money.
Rolling blackouts was an Enron blackmailing scheme Kenny boy developed to make big bucks. He wanted to sell electricity at the most profitable price, sort like pharma-dude tried with his drugs.
I experienced scheduled blackouts in Honduras 25 years ago. The power in my hotel was cut 15 min early, catching me in the shower and 7 floors up.
They have already put the plan into effect during the fire season. Scheduled blackouts will begin soon in CA, the land of fruits and nuts.
Ftmfw
Hey let’s not forget in California giving free shit to hordes of illegals takes way more precedence than fixing the infrastructure.
What if the politicians in CA are luring the illegals in so that when the ‘big one’ hits all the illegals will be fried? Nah, they’re bringing in the illegals for the votes and S.CA is already a shithole, just not an irradiated one…..yet.
Big Red, you and Bilco can go wipe a homeless dude’s ass.
Aww, did someone touch a nerve, Mr. Erectile Collapse? You a CA politician these days? Need some votes in exchange for the freebies given to illegals while Citizens live in their cars and can’t afford medical care?
If you are trying to make me feel sorry about Man 0 Pausal dysfunction, let me tell you, a placid dick living in the Matrix world is better than one chasing ass on your dime. From 15 to 35, that little shit runs and sometimes ruins your life when it goes into hyperdrive at 40. So what I say about erectile dysfunction is what took it so long? How’s you’re gummy-bear of a micro-pud doing these days, Big Red?
It’s very bad and unhealthy to be drunk this early in the daytime.
I thought you were at least 14, you know, legal. I will try to keep it clean, Big Red.
Fourteen is only legal to the Epsteins and Clintons….as to the keeping it clean, I will give you compassion since your wife is away and you seem a tad adrift.
Oops. Lowest age of consent in the US is 16. In Cali, it is the ripe old age of 18.
thanks mygirl,
ec seems really frustrated today–maybe some of his primos are being rounded up today–
speaking of california & free stuff,los angelos has 1.6 more registered voters than they have eligible voters–probably just an oversight though–
https://godfatherpolitics.com/l-a-county-has-1-6-million-more-voters-registered-than-it-has-eligible-voters-living-there/
Tampico, the sexy mulatta went to Salvador, I have been home alone for a couple of weeks and it ain’t fun.
As far as my primos, they were all born here and the ones that weren’t are still in Mexico. I don’t know how they do it or why they do it, coming here like that.
Back in my grandpa’s day, crossing the border wasn’t a big deal, my mamacita says her grandpa worked in the salt mine in Kansas or Kentucky ( I forget which state she mentioned) because that was the only work he could get. She said her mom mentioned that he’d come home dead tired and go to sleep.
You may feel all smug and proud that your were born here but then the Indians were probably the same way and you don’t hear from them much anymore, do you?
The indians spend too much time drinking and drugging and blaming whitey for their problems these days. Perpetual self created victims, like the ghetto blacks, don’t count for much.
As to crossing the border…once upon a time folks crossed the border to work and then they used that money to make a very nice home for their families in Mexico. They didn’t come here to suck up the welfare, birth anchor babies and then whine that the US wasn’t the wonderful Mexico (or other country) that they ran away from.
” I don’t know how they do it or why they do it, coming here like that.”
those guys have cojones to go thru what they do to come here–
i used to have a guatemelan guy working 4 me,probably the best employee i’ve ever had–one day he asked to borrow 4k from me–he had 2 nephews who were being held across from san diego by coyotes until they came up w/an additional 4k–
those mines were in kansas,hispaniacs always have trouble w/k sounds–
regarding the injuns,
Three strangers strike up a conversation in the airport passenger lounge in Calgary, Alberta, while awaiting their respective flights.
One is a native Indian from the Sarcee Reserve, another is a cowboy on his way to Lethbridge for a livestock auction.
The third passenger is a fundamentalist Arab student, newly arrived at the University of Calgary from the Middle East .
Their discussion drifts to their diverse cultures. Soon, the two Albertans learn that the Arab is a devout, radical Muslim and the conversation falls into an uneasy lull.
The cowboy leans back in his chair, crosses his boots on a magazine table and tips his big sweat-stained hat forward over his face. The wind outside is blowing tumbleweeds around, and the old windsock is flapping, but still no plane comes.
To break the silence, the Indian clears his throat and softly speaks:
“At one time here, my people were many, but sadly, now we are few.”
The Muslim student raises an eyebrow and leans forward: “Once my people were few,” he sneers, “and now we are many. Why do you suppose that is?”
The Alberta cowboy shifts his toothpick to one side of his mouth and from the darkness beneath his Stetson says in a smooth drawl:
“That’s ’cause we ain’t played Cowboys and Muslims yet . . . but I do believe it’s a-comin’.”
i know what you mean,mine left 6/3 to fly over & see her dad 4 a few weeks–he had a stroke so she’s staying until just before she has to be back in school–
And when asked to clean up their rolls they sue. Yep. Martial Law for Cali.
They are packing them in for slave labor and to steal congressional seats from the rest of the country. The Democrat plantation masters will have districts with majorities of non-citizens meaning the Democraps votes in California will count more than the votes of the rest of the country. Stuff like this will be a main driver of our downfall if allowed to continue.
Given the power and authority I would occupy California under Martial Law and march all the millions of illegals to the planes, trains and docks. We could send thousands of Liberty Ships like they whipped out in WW2 with auto-pilot. Beijing could call and rage that they didn’t want their millions of illegals back but their calls would go to the answering machine and the boats would plow into the Chinese shoreline and they can all jump off like they do on the shores of Long Island.
To ice all the cakes but good we could send every person back to their country with an AK captured in Iraq or Libya. A grand fantasy, but I would do it and support anyone who could do it.
4 many years i’ve been pitching the tampared politically incorrect plan to calm the mideast & solve illegal immigration–
we kill all muslim males,convert the women at swordpoint,and ship all the mex/central american guys we don’t need here to work in the mideast–
see how easy it is when you think outside the box?
That sounds like the same plan they rolled out in Europe. You damn meddlers.
Tampa, how’s the old man doing? I have seen some people recovered nicely from a stroke, just a crooked smile, but some folks are left in a debilitated state. I hope they caught it in time.
he’s partially ok but he won’t be going back home–wife’s trying to find him an apt in the same area that is close to where he wants to be,not much luck so we’ll see what happens–
Bullshit.
Dangerous power source must be replaced by unreliable fantasy power grid. No nat gas or coal for you.
Just another example of the massive dangers of crony capitalism, government-protected cartels, and government-created/protected municipal utility companies. And NOTHING about nuclear power involves full accountability or liability….just a lot of socialized costs and liabilities meant to hide the true costs of this form of power so as to keep it viable and present. I’m not saying that there aren’t viable, safe, nuclear options (thorium, sodium, and others have been mentioned in articles I have read), but without accountability and liability the far cheaper, far more dangerous alternatives continue to control the marketplace.
Thorium I’ve begun to explore, but sodium too? I had not heard of that.
This is worth a read: 4thgeneration.energy/thorium-vs-molten-salt-reactor/
Thank you!
The reactor at the northern end of the San Fernando Valley north of LA (where I grew up) was a sodium reactor. In looking up reactors around the country I came across that info. Never knew it before. Montefrio’s link provides some good info. Again, GE builds traditional hazardous reactors….so…
Everybody look!
This is what nukes are… fancy water boilers.
No megaton bombs! http://mileswmathis.com/trinity.pdf
hey winnie,
do you think we should trust quinnie since he doesn’t have miles mathis listed as one of his favorite websites?
seems kind of suspicious that if he’s really such a skeptic that he wouldn’t want to always have miles close by,what do you think?
Oil, gas, nuclear, wood, coal, all heat water that creates steam to spin turbines with giant armatures that create electricity. Wind replaces the fuel and steam to do the same thing.
If it can happen, then it will happen. Given a long enough time frame and the odds of an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault Line at some point in the future, this is a guarantee. Unless I’m missing something.
That’s Murphy’s Law.
Murphy needs his ass kicked….as to catastrophe in CA, only a matter of time. Greedy bastards built toxic facilities on fault lines and, like Fukushima, the horrors will be felt for many generations to come….
No, that is the law of Plate Tectonics. Murphy’s law says that it will happen while you are working on an un-secure ladder, 3 stories above a concrete pad that is covered with used fluorescent tubes and metal scraps.
I hate when I fall down the rabbit hole. It always makes me late for dinner.
documents.theblackvault.com/documents/weather/a539515.pdf
Nuclear power…. another solution from the powers that be. I was a kid in the 60’s and 70’s when pretty much everyone, with half a brain, was against nuclear power. The gumbermit said we are going to run out of oil! we will run out of natural gas! Coal is killing us! Nuclear power is safe! The fact that we have not shut down every MF nuclear power plant after 3 mile island(the day we almost lost Detroit), Chernobyl, and Fukashima just shows how in control the gubermint is and how powerless the sheeple are. Just a matter of time before one of the US power plants has a major accident. Do the math. China Syndrome! this article, etc etc. I won’t even talk about where all the spent fuel is dumped.
You can make safe nuclear power – you just have to engineer it properly, rather than throw together a half-baked pile of politics, improper location, insufficient materials, lack of maintenance and inspection, and dysfunctional design like the GE Fukushima (let’s put the generators for back-up controls power in the basement, where they can flood and fail! Let’s make sure to prevent any real way to scram the reactor instantly, so it can melt down!)
The Navy has had nuclear reactors on submarines for decades; why have there been only a couple of accidents? Surely if we can put a nuclear reactor in a submarine successfully (tight spacing, limited access, difficult operating conditions) or a carrier (much the same, although looser spacing constraints) we can build one on land that will work?
And all the thorium / alternate designs out there, why not look at those for domestic power?
People are being critical of where nuclear reactors are built, but the traditional uranium and plutonium type must be built near huge sources of water. Either along a coastline or along a river, there WILL be a close-by fault line. Water flowing over millennia has a way of creating cracks in the crust, and the continents are all surrounded by faults of one type or another. The nature of the beast.
I love all of the debate about wind and solar energy versus nuclear energy. You know there’s a rock they dig out of the ground that they can burn to produce steam used to turn electric generators. The only problem is that Democrats hate it. Every time I read about all of this I think about one of my favorite quotes:
” Death solves all problems- no man, no problem.”
I’m leery of nuclear power oversight, too, but you have no evidence ANYBODY died
at Three Mile Island.