Praying for sanity in the church of the God-loving beach people...

1/23/2013

Dear Readers,

Last night the San Diego Unified School District voted 4-1 to send a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission asking for hearings on San Onofre, despite Southern California Edison's asking them to hold off so they could be "briefed" by SCE on the "benefits" of nuclear energy.

There are 132,000 children in the SDUSD -- over 200 individual schools. An accident at San Onofre would impact every one of them (and many more) -- and there are NO benefits from nuclear power, because there are green alternatives for energy -- many of them. So why wait? The SDUSD voted not to wait. At $60 million dollars a month to keep a closed reactor potentially operational (SCE is merely waiting for the NRC to give it the okay to restart Unit 2) waiting is expensive -- and potentially very dangerous.

And the same night, the city council of Temecula, 50 miles away from San Diego but only a few dozen miles away from San Onofre, also began an investigation into the matter, and will possibly follow suit with their own resolution within a few weeks. Mighty Los Angeles plans to consider a resolution as well. City after city has made a commitment to be a part of the solution -- to learn, to watch, and to investigate the problems at San Onofre.

The mayor of San Diego recently stated, "If San Onofre starts under its current condition it is very unsafe. We will be doing all we can to add our voices to the other voices to make sure the NRC does not allow that."

For its part, the NRC has announced their upcoming February 12, 2013 meeting on San Onofre's steam generator troubles (shown below) will be at the Capo Beach Church, a facility that: "has seating for 1,100 persons and parking is free."

This is great! The NRC has finally listened to two things the citizens complained vociferously about at the last few meetings -- not enough room in the auditorium for everyone, and excessive parking fees. The meeting will last three hours (from 6 to 9 pm) so they missed the part about there never being enough time for the citizens to say what needs to be said -- let alone, to get answers.

But anyway, two steps forward. A multitude to go. If only the NRC would listen to all the other concerns the citizens have brought forward over the past few decades! If only they would hold adjudicated public hearings where NONE of the problems with San Onofre are excluded from discussion, where everyone is under oath, and where independent experts are given full opportunity to speak!

I'm not sure why they're meeting in a church rather than a local school auditorium or some other secular location, but God Bless 'Em one way or the other... I assume we'll meet in synagogues and mosques too, now and then -- if any are large enough and welcome us.

But it's funny it being in a church. The Capo Beach Church web site states they are "full of God-loving beach people." So you would think the entire congregation would turn out to fight against ungodly things that destroy our DNA, like nuclear emissions: Energy beams (rays) and tiny particles which travel so fast, nearly the speed of light, that they can (and do) destroy every known chemical bond in the universe -- God's universe, as far as we know. All the order of nature, all the artwork of mankind, all the cathedrals of the Gods -- the chemical bonds which hold together the atoms of the podium that the minister speaks from, whether that podium is made of the strongest steel, whether it is made to last a thousand years or even an eternity, it won't last forever, because exposure to radiation over time will crumble it to dust.

Radiation destroys everything.

Our fragile DNA doesn't stand a chance. Radiation destroys the genetic sequence that makes us human. The unique combination we try so hard to make with one other person to pass on together to our progeny. Every child is unique. The most precious code in the universe, which took billions of years to develop, modify, evolve and, dare I say, perfect (or nearly so) is destroyed in an instant by radiation. Truly: How can you get more ungodly than with the randomized destruction of everything?

Dry storage casks for the used nuclear reactor cores, left on site even after the reactors are shut down forever, will deteriorate from their exposure to the powerful beams emitting from within. Security guards' DNA will deteriorate too, but they're replaceable, in the eyes of the overlords of nuclear waste. Whether the dry casks will last 100 years, or 300 years or more, is currently being debated. Whether they'll last forever is not. They simply won't. So why make more of them?

Funny it being in a church. Godliness is orderly, while radiation is random -- a half-life is a statistical estimation, and the direction and exact strength of the radioactive decay will be unpredictable as well as the moment it will occur for any individual atomic decay. God (or cosmic inevitability) built, out of chaos and/or nothingness, an orderly universe. Radiation creates random destruction. Radiation and orderliness seem to be to be about as far apart as the devil and the deep blue sea.

But in our case, they are right next to each other. San Onofre sits on the beach, ready to destroy the God-loving beach people's homes, lives, and happiness. Fukushima fish are 2,500 times more radioactive than "background levels" should be. The fish's internal structure is being randomized at 2,500 times the normal rate. A single radioactive emission can destroy tens of thousands of chemical bonds in a living organism.

Honest people do the devil's work sometimes, for not knowing any better. I do not hate the NRC for their mistakes, or even San Onofre's employees, who operate the death-ray machine. But their mistakes are grave indeed. San Onofre is a broken reactor, and the NRC let it get that way. They looked the other way while Southern California Edison's engineers made dozens of changes to the design of the new steam generators, then called them "like for like." They were as "like for like" as "night and day."

Lies for lies. San Onofre's biggest lie is that they have EVER operated safely. What about the waste? What about too-big earthquakes and tsunamis, which we have seen around the world in the last decade? The science of large natural events has been completely rewritten -- except within the nuclear industry. What about the wildfires causing station black outs, which we have also seen, and everything else that can lead to a "Loss of Coolant" accident? What about mistakes in the control room? The current restart plan relies an human intervention and a complex array of training programs and new operator rules to prevent a meltdown in the case of an accident at the crippled reactor. If they restart it, say your prayers!

Are we going to the Capo Beach Church to be lied to again? We mustn't let that happen! God forbid we are lied to at church!

There will be no incoming voice or video communications at this meeting, but those who can't attend will be able to watch the meeting on the web and can submit questions beforehand. If the moderator likes the question, he'll ask it for you. In 2013 the NRC can't do live remote interactive webcasts from Southern California? Seriously?

One last point: One meeting is good, but there are more than eight million people who live within 50 miles of San Onofre, spread out far from Capistrano Beach where the meeting will be held, in every direction except west. It's too bad the NRC won't also have a meeting in San Diego, another in Los Angeles, both at the edge of, or just outside the 50 mile "emergency planning zone" of San Onofre -- but well within the danger zone. And still more meetings out in Riverside, San Bernadino, and the Imperial Valley. And not to mention, a few more meetings in Tijuana, which is sure to also be impacted by a nuclear accident at San Onofre. In fact, considering the multi-cultural makeup of Southern California, there should probably be several language translators and sign language, too at all NRC meetings.

Of course, I don't want more meetings and see no need for them. I don't want more lies, I've heard enough of them. I don't want adjudicated sworn testimony from experts, I can read books full of transcripts of those. I don't want a blame game. I want to believe everyone did their best at what they thought was right.

I want San Onofre closed down forever and decommissioned. I'm praying for it.

Ace Hoffman
Carlsbad, CA

Attachments:

(1) Torgen Johnson's brilliant suggested letter to Ted Craver, CEO of SCE
(2) NRC announcement of February 12, 2013 meeting on SanO in Capistrano Beach, California
(3) Contact information for the author of this newsletter

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(1) Torgen Johnson's brilliant suggested letter to Ted Craver, CEO of SCE:
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To: Ron Rodarte
From: Torgen Johnson
Date: Thursday, 24 January, 2013, 1:14 AM

Ron,

In response to your excellent question about any thoughts on a message for our last meeting coming up with the NRC. Let's create a catch phrase to zero-in on the person who can stop it all with the stroke of a pen, Ted Craver. Let's make it so simple that even a person totally unfamiliar with the issue can "get it" immediately. The victory at San Diego Unified School District is so strong and clear. The entire council chamber in Temecula heard the announcement about the vote in SD and everyone got it immediately ! The applauded ! Who in their right mind is not going to protect kids?

After last night, here is a thought to capitalize on the incredible success of the SDUSD vote and on the insightful comment that Ray Lutz made regarding addressing Ted Craver directly as he is the one person who can stop this whole nightmare. He can come out of this as California's biggest scoundrel or the public HERO that he would like to be perceived as and worth every penny of his huge salary.

Firstly, the San Diego Unified School District vote in favor of a resolution to keep San Onofre shutdown represents 132,000 kids at 215 schools in San Diego. Last night at the opening of the Temecula CC meeting they had a "Glee" inspired performance by about 20 high school students sing and perform at a professional level. It was an incredible performance. There is so much potential in those kids.

Here is a strong and clear statement to be made publicly:

Ted Craver CEO of Edison International who makes an income of over $10 million per year said publicly on [June 14,] 2012 [in San Juan Capistrano] that shutting down San Onofre would be the most difficult decision of his career. It seems that he is struggling to find the reasons to shut it down. Clearly he has many $$$ reasons to try to keep it open even though the past ONE YEAR without it operating proves that WE the ratepayers do not need San Onofre or the risks that it poses on us.

Dear Ted,

The San Diego Unified School District just gave you 132,000 reasons (number of children) to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Temecula gave you 31,456 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of San Clemente gave you 15,736 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Irvine gave you 46,338 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Los Angeles gave you 882,351 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Laguna Beach gave you 3,714 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Solana Beach gave you 2,416 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Encinitas gave you 12,442 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!

The City of Vista gave you 25,419 reasons to "Just Do It"... Shut it Down!!!
(Continue the list for each city within 50 miles of San Onofre. )

I personally have 3 reasons for Ted Craver to "Just Do It" and shut it down and they are 1, 3, and 5 years old.

Ted, it should not be your toughest decision, it should be as easy and clear a decision as it is for us, your ratepayers and potential victims of a foolish and totally unnecessary gamble with the lives and health of our most important priorities, our kids.

Ted Craver, we will all be better off and it will set up Edison to move forward beyond the Cold War-Era technology at San Onofre that risk our children and our homes. "Ted, Just Do It"

Can you imagine everyone at the next NRC meeting CHANTING... "TED, JUST DO IT"

Torgen

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(2) NRC announcement of February 12, 2013 meeting on SanO in Capistrano Beach, California
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NRC to Meet Public to Discuss San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Steam Generator Issues

NRC TO MEET PUBLIC TO DISCUSS SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION STEAM GENERATOR ISSUES

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting on Feb. 12 to discuss the status of its review of Southern California Edison Co.'s (SCE) proposed plan for restarting San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Unit 2. The plant, operated by SCE, is located in San Clemente, Calif.

The meeting will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Capo Beach Church, 25975 Domingo Ave., in Capistrano Beach, Calif. The facility has seating for 1,100 persons and parking is free.

NRC staff will meet with the public to discuss the status of its inspection and technical evaluation of SCE's response to the NRC Confirmatory Action Letter of March 27, concerning actions required to be taken by the company to address steam generator tube degradation at San Onofre. The company's response to the Confirmatory Action Letter is available on the NRC website.

A leak in a Unit 3 steam generator tube on Jan. 31, 2012, led to the shutdown of that unit. The other reactor, Unit 2, was shut down for maintenance and refueling at the time. Subsequent inspections of the nearly new steam generators in both units found unexpected wear. Both units remain safely shut down and will not be permitted to restart until NRC has reasonable assurance they can be operated safely.

The public will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff and Southern California Edison Co. officials and provide comments concerning the inspection and technical evaluation activities throughout the meeting.

"We want to provide the public with a status report on the NRC's inspection activities at San Onofre and our ongoing evaluation of Southern California Edison's proposal for restarting Unit 2," said NRC Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins. "We encourage interested members of the public to attend the meeting, ask questions and provide comments to the NRC staff about our ongoing review."

The meeting will be webcast live at: http://video.nrc.gov . The video stream will begin about 5 p.m. PDT, but the audio stream will not start until the meeting begins.

A phone bridge is also available by calling: 1-888-790-2038 and entering passcode 47018.

The webcast and phone bridge will be one-way only. Questions or comments can be submitted to the NRC staff after the meeting at: OPA4@nrc.gov

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 1600 E. Lamar Blvd. Arlington, TX 76011 - 4125 Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov

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(3) Contact information for the author of this newsletter:

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Ace Hoffman
Author, The Code Killers:
An Expose of the Nuclear Industry
Free download: acehoffman.org
Blog: acehoffman.blogspot.com
YouTube: youtube.com/user/AceHoffman
Carlsbad, CA
Email: ace [at] acehoffman.org

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