Dennis RomeroSo people are scared again about the safety of nuclear power. President Obama has ordered a review of plant safety across the nation. California's two U.S. Senators want the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct inspections of the two generating stations in the state. And California lawmakers met this week to discuss nuclear safety.
You need to get the people's approval to keep on generating radioactive power. So what do you do if you're the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in Southern California?
You clam up.
That's right. The folks at Southern California Edison, which runs San Onofre, told the Weekly that “we are not able to accommodate interview requests at this time.”
Surfing 'Old Man's' near the San Onofre plant.; Credit: anthony_goto
Really? You mean at this time of utter, serious concern?
People are scared shitless about the situation at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan, and you stop talking to reporters?
Wow.
We get the high-level media strategy involved here. No info is good info when it comes to telling us, say, that San Onofre might not survive the kind of double whammy — major earthquake and tsunami — suffered in Japan.
SCE's job is to make sure it can do its business. It doesn't have to serve the people. Still, it needs the people's approval and trust.
And while we don't want to cause a panic, SCE and other nuclear operators would seem a lot more cool under the collar if their best answer wasn't “no comment.”
That makes us scared.
And lawmakers, do us all a favor and remember how forthcoming these folks who need the help of the peoples' representatives to renew their licenses were following the Japanese disasters. Just remember how cooperative they've been with the very public you serve.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.