As a lifelong resident of San Luis Obispo County and a member of a pioneer family with deep roots here, I am deeply disturbed by the SLO County Board of Supervisors’ recent letter to the California Legislature supporting a 20-year extension of Diablo Canyon’s operation.
This action was premature and deeply concerning. According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Diablo Canyon Unit 1 is the third most embrittled reactor vessel in the nation. Reactor vessel embrittlement presents serious safety risks and warrants careful, transparent evaluation.
Yet key information remains unavailable. Final analyses on reactor embrittlement and seismic safety have not been released. Endorsing extended operation without these reports contradicts basic principles of public safety and responsible governance.
Moreover, Senate Bill 846 authorizes only a five-year extension—not 20. The necessity of Diablo Canyon’s continued operation beyond that period has not been clearly demonstrated.
Most troubling, the board issued its letter without seeking meaningful public input. Decisions with decades-long consequences should not be made without community consultation.
I urge state leaders to delay any endorsement of extended operation until safety reviews are complete and the people of San Luis Obispo County have been fully heard.
Molly Johnson
Templeton
This article appears in Dec 25, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026.
Watch “The China Syndrome” or “Chernobyl” for safety information.
You can get your family’s free iodine tablets at the public health office on Johnson Ave and the NBC gas masks on Amazon for your family when the cloud of ionizing radiation wafts over SLO. They have child size gas masks for the tots too on Amazon.