Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel broadcasts meeting electronically due to Coronavirus concerns
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Due to the current COVID-19/coronavirus situation and acting upon guidance from the County of San Luis Obispo, the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel conducted and broadcasted Wednesday night's public meeting electronically only.
The Engagement Panel asks that members of the public interested in participating in tomorrow's public meeting live stream the meeting by visiting https://diablocanyonpanel.org/ or http://www.pge.com/engagementpanel<http://www.pge.com/engagementpanel>.
Participants will be able to submit comments and ask questions using the online comment form on the Panel website during the meeting.
This is the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel's first public meeting this year.
While the Coronavirus the meeting was conducted electronically, that
didn’t stop people from showing up.
Hours before the panel meeting, nearly a dozen people stood outside the building holding signs to share a message.
“The nuclear waste which will stay at Diablo Canyon‘s and they don’t know what to do with it and this is far more deadly than any coronavirus,” said Carole Hisasue with SLO Mothers for Peace group.
The Panel encouraged members of the public interested in participating to watch the live stream online due to the Coronavirus situation.
“We are fortunate that we have that alternative and the CDC has recommended a person is considered high risk of complications of coronavirus to avoid large public groups," said Dr. Nancy O’Malley, a member of the panel.
While PG & E managers said they're following the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation for social distancing, Hisasue shared her response to the panel meeting.
"My message would be to shut it down now. They’re doing the decommission meeting because they’re shutting it down in 2024 and 2025. That’s four to five years away. Anything can happen. They need to shut it down now," Hisasue said.
Members of the panel said they are broadcasting the meeting for the safety of the public as well as members of the panel.
