The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee (DCISC) is a three-person Committee charged with reviewing and making recommendations concerning the safety of operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (DCPP).
The Committee was created by the State of California's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and held its first meeting in May 1990.
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant is located on a 750-acre site along the central California coastline in San Luis Obispo County.
Diablo Canyon provides electricity for more than two million northern and central Californians from operation of its two 1,100 megawatt Westinghouse 4-loop pressurized water reactors fueled by uranium dioxide. Diablo Canyon began commercial operation in 1985 and is licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to continue operating Unit-1 until 2024 and Unit-2 until 2025.
The Committee holds public meetings and plant tours, conducts inspections and publishes an annual report on the safety of Diablo Canyon, assisted by technical consultants and legal counsel.
The Committee at its February 2020 and July public meetings considered the matter of a role for the DCISC to continue to review nuclear fuel-related issues after the expiration of the operating licenses for Diablo Canyon Power Plant Unit 1 by 2024 and Unit 2 by 2025. At those meetings the Committee approved a proposed revision of the 2007 Restated Charter. The following materials are provided in connection with that matter.
- Present Restated Charter for the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee issued on January 25, 2007 by the California Public Utilities Commission in its Decision 07-01-028
- Second (Proposed) Restatement of the Committee’s present charter which if submitted to and approved by the California Public Utilities Commission would provide for the DCISC’s continued review of Diablo Canyon nuclear fuel-related operations until such time as all nuclear fuel is successfully transferred to the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; and
- A Post-shutdown Summary of the phases which will follow the shutdown of the Diablo Canyon reactors, the topical areas proposed for the DCISC’s continued review, an assessment of the risk during each phase, and an estimate of the duration of each phase (PDF).
Review of Decommissioning-related Issues
- Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel
- Dr. David Victor’s slide presentation, Decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (PDF)
Review of Seismic Safety Issues
- NRC Staff Assessment of DCPP’s Post Fukushima Seismic Hazard Reevaluations – December 21, 2016 (PDF)
- Decision of NRC Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation re Petition concerning DCPP Operational Safety and Safe Shut Down due to Earthquake – April 21, 2017 (PDF)
Review of Tsunami Hazard and Risk at DCPP and Its Environs
- May 14, 2015 Public Meeting Video
- Dr. R. T. Sewell Tsunami Hazard Presentation: Power Point Slides June 21, 2016 (PDF)
- Dr. R.T. Sewell Letter of April 4, 2017: Questions on Tsunami Risk Presentation (PDF)
Evaluations of Safety Issues for Alternate Cooling Technologies or Modification to DCPP Once-Through Cooling System
- September 5, 2013, Evaluation of Bechtel Final Technologies Assessment (PDF)
- October 17, 2014, Preliminary Evaluation of Addendum to Bechtel Final Technologies Assessment (PDF)
Information on CA Public Utilities Commission Decision D.18-01-022 to Retire Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) at the Expiration of the Current Operating Licenses
- DCISC Comments on Senator Monning’s CA Senate Bill 1090 (PDF)
- Decision Approving Retirement of Diablo Canyon Power Plant (PDF)
- Summary of PG&E’s Joint Proposal to Retire Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) at Expiration of the Current Operating Licenses
- The Joint Proposal Overview (PDF)
- The Application of PG&E for Approval of the Retirement of Diablo Canyon Power Plant (PDF)
- Assigned Commissioner and ALJ’s Scoping Memo & Ruling (PDF)
- Joint Parties Motion for Approval of Community Impacts Settlement