New inspector general report details ‘failed oversight’ at Diablo Canyon
Rep. Carbajal issues statement in response to report, ‘The findings…are unsettling and unacceptable’
– This week, Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) reacted to a new report issued by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission on inspections at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
The report details how the regulatory commission staff “failed to identify degraded elements of Diablo Canyon’s systems, inspect critical areas where leaks had occurred, and meet regulations for inspection times,” according to Carbajal.
Carbajal issued the following statement:
“The findings released today by the NRC’s Inspector General are unsettling and unacceptable… The safety and wellbeing of the entire San Luis Obispo community relies on federal inspectors adhering to those safety protocols, and the negligence detailed in this report will erode the public trust in those who are tasked with keeping us safe.
It is critically important that the NRC make a clear and convincing case to the Central Coast how it will hold their inspectors accountable for breaking protocol and how it intends to restore confidence in their operations at DCPP. In the coming days, I will be formally asking NRC leaders for specific details on why required inspections were not completed, what corrective actions will be taken, and what steps the NRC will take to enforce its regulations in the remaining time that DCPP is operational.”