A rally to “Save Diablo Nuclear Power Plant” was held Saturday at the San Luis Obispo Courthouse on Monterey Street. About two hundred people showed up to support the power plant, and nuclear power in general.
Just before the rally began, a group of women herded an inflated mini-blimp down Monterey Street while chanting pro-nuclear slogans. That kicked off the program.
Speakers included San Luis Obispo Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg who previously wrote a letter with Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham to encourage the state to allow Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to continue to operate. Supervisor Ortiz-Legg says there needs to be a permitting path for nuclear power in California. She says if PG and E is not interested in operating Diablo, that doesn’t mean the plant must close. “Once there’s a permitting path, we’ll see who steps forward to show interest.”
Two women spoke who started “Mothers for Diablo.” Kristin Ziatz and Heather Hoff are nuclear professionals, and mothers. They started their group to campaign to keep the power plant open. Their website is WWW.MothersforNuclear.org.
Other speakers included a PhD candidate in nuclear engineering at University of Tennessee, and an experienced scientist who worked for many years on projects to study our solar system.
The group handed out free “Save Our Diablo” T-Shirts, and carried signs in support of the power plant.