Nuclear Plant Possibly Restarting Despite Needing Repairs

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons)

A nuclear plant about 50 miles away from Wilmington residents is gambling with the safety of millions of lives by proposing to restart despite it needing $317 million in repairs.

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California near San Clemente.

The plant was shut down in January after discovering a small radioactive steam leak at one of its two reactors that indicated accelerated degradation of tubes in the plant's new steam generators, reported Reuters.

Last month the owner submitted an experimental plan to restart one of its reactors, Unit 2. The leak occurred in the Unit 3 reactor, which is closed indefinitely.

Edison has topped $317 million in repairs and their efforts to restart the reactor faces opposition from environmental groups and community members who say the plan could endanger eight million nearby residents.

Community members and environmentalist are demanding a public hearing and the Los Angeles City Council has until this Friday to act before the year is through to urge a resolution.

“Edison is pushing hard to get Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval for what amounts to a reckless experiment with the lives and livelihoods of the 8.4 million people who live within 50 miles of San Onofre,” said Damon Moglen, energy and climate director for Friends of the Earth.

“This critical matter should not be considered in another informal meeting, in which the audience is silenced and removed from the real process despite their demands for independent public input and oversight,” he said in a press release. 

Environmentalist are demanding this matter be considered in NRC proceedings to examine the dangers this can pose to many families.

In the event of a massive accident or a natural disaster that harshly impacts the reactors at this plant a big population of Los Angeles would be put at risk. Parts of L.A. are within the 50 mile radius that NRC recommended be the evacuation zone after Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power during last year’s tsunami. 

When Japan was hit by the deadly tsunami farms up to 90 miles away from the Fukushima plant were tainted with dangerous levels of radioactivity.

A massive nuclear accident in Southern California can cause long-term radiation in contamination well beyond the 50-mile radius as proven in Japan.

Wilmington residents along with other L.A. community members are asked to contact their councilman or councilwoman and President Wesson with their support for the Koretz/Rosendahl resolution on San Onofre safety. To contact Councilman Joe Buscaino who represents L.A.'s 15th council district click here to voice your concerns.

Hojas Tea House Closed

Since last week, many tea lovers have been upset by the closure of Wilmington's only tea house, Hojas. The Los Angeles County Health Department has temporarily closed Hojas due to lack of proper permits.

This closure is temporary and the owners are committed to re-opening Hojas as soon as possible.

Here is a statement provided by their management:

"Hojas Premium Tea House has been temporarily closed for business. We have been asked to make changes to our facility to meet current codes and regulations with the Health and City Department. We will not only take this time to resolve these issues but will use this time as an opportunity to improve our establishment. We will be closed until further notice. We appreciate all our customers for their support and thank them for their patience and understanding during this time of improvement. Hojas Premium Tea House & Staff Ecc. 3:1-11"

They will be working with the City of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety on building modifications so that they can get approval from the LA County Health Department. The Council Office has been working the owners to try and help ensure that Hojas Tea House reopens as soon as possible.

Their regular customers are hoping so.

Fire Station #38 Was Never Scheduled for Closure but Fire Resources Were at Risk

This Spring, Wilmington residents feared losing their local fire station when in fact the station was never scheduled for closure.

Ralph Morales Terrazas, a Wilmington native and Fire Assistant Chief, assigned to South Division "A" Platoon said, “What did occur was the elimination of Light Force 38, which was composed of a hook and ladder fire truck and a fire engine. The hook and ladder truck was staffed by a Captain II, Apparatus Operator, an Engineer, and three Firefighters for a total of six people. What remains at Fire Station #38 is a Fire Engine and a Paramedic Ambulance. The Fire Engine is staffed by a Captain I, an Engineer, and two Firefighters. The Rescue Ambulance is staffed with two Paramedics.”

Although there was confusion on the closure of Fire Station #38, it was clear to residents that resources, highly needed in Wilmington, were at risk of being taken away.

In April, I wrote a blog post on the huge turnout at the Wilmington Neighborhood Council meeting. At the meeting, residents demanded board members to act quickly and ensure that no resources or jobs at the local fire station were lost.

During public comments, people gave testimonials on how firefighters saved their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Kids held signs that read, “Please save station #38, they saved my brothers life.”

People were in shock at the fact that the City of Los Angeles would risk such assets considering Wilmington is a town surrounded by refineries, and one of the largest ports in the nation.

“The major concerns I have in the Wilmington Community include: proximity to the Port of Los Angeles, multiple oil refineries, miles of underground pipelines, and heavy commercial traffic on Pacific Coast Highway and the Harbor Freeway,” said Terrazas.

In the past months firefighters and local supporters have fought to save all jobs at Fire Station #38, but were barely able to keep a fire engine and a paramedic ambulance in exchange for a staffing reduction.

All this was necessary as a result of the citywide budget reductions. These budget cuts have affected communities throughout the City of LA in parallel ways.

Currently Terrazas is hoping to become the next fire chief, which is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Fire Department. If he gets this position, he would be responsible for overlooking firefighters in Wilmington.

“The Fire Chief has the powers and duties stated in the City Charter, and is responsible for administering the Fire Department in accordance with the City Charter. In other words, the Fire Chief manages the LAFD under the supervision of the Fire Commission. The Fire Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor,” explained Terrazas.

Terrazas attended the WNC meeting in July asking the community for their support. He introduced himself and gave a quick summary of all his work experience.

Terrazas made it clear he was committed to securing fire resources.

“My primary initial focus would be to ensure that the citywide fire resource closure plan supports effective public safety in terms of emergency response times and emergency call loads,” said Terrazas.

This week a decision will be made on whether Terrazas is elected as the next fire chief.

Even though, changes continue to occur in Wilmington, residents can feel some relief from Terrazas’ statement that, “Yes, you can safely say that Wilmington will always have a Fire Station.”

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The public has been invited to provide their input into the selection of the next Fire Chief to the following email addresses:

Eileen Decker Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security
eileen.decker@lacity.org

Paul Hernandez Associate Director for Homeland Security
paul.hernandez@lacity.org

New Driving Laws & New Fees for 2011

New Driving Laws & New Fees for 2011

New laws increase the opportunities for ticket mailing

By Matt Baume and John Adams
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Story from www.nbclosangeles.com

Facing thousands of deaths each year on California roads, the state has taken steps to protect life and limb. A handful of new road safety laws take effect this month, according to Streetsblog.

Starting this month, dangerous drivers will have to answer for their deeds to the state, rather than to local jurisdictions. That will ensure uniform enforcement of speeding, DUI, and reckless endangerment laws, and also gets the state Department of Motor Vehicles involved.

The result will be fewer crazy drivers on the road, with the DMV empowered to revoke the license of habitual accident-causers.

Enablers of drunk drivers will face particularly stiff penalties. Adults who serve liquor to minors will be held accountable if those minors cause accidents.

And watch where you park: street sweepers will now be equipped with cameras to ticket cars illegally blocking the street - at least that'd mean they'd actually be out cleaning the street which isn't always the case.

The new laws come at a time when the City of Los Angeles is cash-strapped and singing the budget blues. However, the new laws aren't the only changes coming in 2011 as the price for breaking those laws (and the old ones) is changing too.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the state is adding $4 to the price of every traffic ticket to pay for emergency air transport services because of a revenue shortfall in Medi-Cal funding. It is set to generate an estimated $34 million a year through 2016, according to state estimates.

"We have so many different fees tacked on to traffic tickets and many tickets are in the $400 range now," Auto Club of Southern California spokeswoman Marie Montgomery told the Times. "They should be paying a fine because they broke the law but it's just a question of how disproportionate this is on drivers versus other taxpayers."

Are you thinking of solving the ticket dilemma by selling your car and investing in a bike? Well, new laws will also affect LA bikers with weaken penalties for bike theft..

The new threshold for "grand theft" is nearly a thousand dollars, which means that most bicycles won't qualify. Seems like there ought to be a way to consider factors like "suspect took victim's primary mode of transportation to work, depriving them of income" when charging thieves.

Events: Free Royal Palms Guided Geological Nature Walk

(Photo: Nick Carlson. 2007. Flickr link.)

Bring the whole family to see unusual geological formations at our local coastal bluffs!

The Land Conservancy, a non-profit organization, and co-sponsor City of Los Angeles, are leading the guided tour in the Royal Palms Beach area. This area is rich in history dating from the Abalone fishing industry to the late 1800's, followed by a resort with pools fed by natural hot springs. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean while you take a journey back in time.

When: Saturday, October 9th, 2010

Time: 3pm-5pm

Price: FREE!!!

For more information, please visit: Land Conservancy Nature Walks