Times Staff

AVILA BEACH 7 Two public hearings are scheduled that could affect the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

The California Public Utilities Commission has scheduled a hearing Aug. 27 at the Sands Hotel in San Luis Obispo to consider a request to change the way the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee is formed and operates.

A public information session is set for 6 p.m., followed by a hearing at 7 p.m. on the committee reorganization as well as electricity rates charged by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

The hearing was prompted by a petition filed by the Mothers for Peace of San Luis Obispo, and some of the provisions sought by the activist group have been endorsed by the CPUC as well as the state Energy Commission.

Established by the CPUC in 1988 to oversee safety at Diablo Canyon, the Independent Safety Committee consists of three nuclear power experts who meet periodically to review plant operations.

However, Mothers for Peace and other critics say the committee is not seen as a credible watchdog and public participation in its meetings has been dismal.

Committee meetings are highly technical, public comment is extremely limited by the committee and members rely heavily on data supplied by Diablo Canyon operators to make decisions on the safety of plant operations.

Changes requested by Mothers for Peace that are supported by both the CPUC and the Energy Commission staffs include:

n Not allowing plant owner PG&E to nominate committee members.

n Adding a qualified member of the public to the committee and making sure committee members are experts in nuclear power generation, not just nuclear power in general.

n Improving public participation through community outreach, including videotaping and broadcasting committee meetings.

A public hearing on the environmental impacts of nuclear plant license renewals will be held in two weeks, but it won/t be in the Central Coast area.

It will be the only chance for the public to address the issue in California, according to the Mothers for Peace.

The NRC will hold the meeting July 15 at the Hilton-Anaheim, 777 Convention Way, Anaheim.

Those who want to speak on the issue may contact Barry Zalcman by calling toll-free (800) 368-5642 or sending an e-mail to LRGEISUpdate

@NRC.GOV.

Those who are unable to attend the meeting but would like to comment may visit the Mothers for Peace Web site at www.mothersforpeace.org to automatically send a letter or may call 773-3881.

July 2, 2003