California Nuclear Initiative petition must be received by 4/13/2012. Download here Let me tell you what happens when people lose confidence in the NRC and the nuclear industry. Right now, there is a petition being circulated for a ballot initiative that would effectively shut down the two nuclear power plants in California. I believe we will see more of that across the country if America doesn‘t have confidence in the NRC.If the NRC does not do its job, the American people will demand the ultimate protection – the shutdown of old nuclear power plants that have similar characteristics as the Fukushima plant.
Senator Barbara Boxer to NRC Commissioners 12/15/2011
The California Nuclear Initiative proposes to do just that. Download petition.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office would have us believe that nuclear power plants are too big to fail. Here at California Nuclear Initiative, we tend to disagree. Please read the facts and help us in our campaign to shutdown the remaining two active nuclear power plants in California (Diablo Canyon and San Onofre).
We need your help to collect 504,760 voter signatures for the California Nuclear Initiative petition in order to get it on the ballot for the 2012 general election.
Subscribe to this website and we will keep you informed about the initiative.
Thank you for your support,
Ben Davis Jr., California Nuclear Initiative Proponent
Nuclear Initiative to Shutdown California Nuclear Plants
1520. (11-0042) Nuclear Power. Initiative Statute. Summary Date: 11/18/11 Circulation Deadline: 04/16/12 | Signatures Required: 504,760 [Deadline to mail petitions to the campaign: 04/07/12] Proponent: Ben Davis Jr. (916) 833-7894Extends statutory preconditions, currently applicable to new operation of any nuclear powerplant, to existing Diablo Canyon and San Onofre operations. Before further electricity production at these plants, requires California Energy Commission to find federal government has approved technology for permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste. For nuclear powerplants requiring reprocessing of fuel rods, requires Commission to find federal government has approved technology for nuclear fuel rod reprocessing plants. Both findings are subject to Legislature’s rejection. Further requires Commission to find on case-by-case basis facilities will be available with adequate capacity to reprocess or store powerplant’s fuel rods. (11-0042 Full Text)
Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government:
Likely major impacts on state and local finances in the near term in the form of decreased revenues and increased costs, potentially in the billions of dollars annually, due to near-term disruptions in the state’s electricity system and ongoing electricity price increases. The magnitude of these impacts would depend on the frequency and duration of rolling blackouts. Potential major state costs to compensate utilities for investment losses resulting from the mandated shutdown of their nuclear power plants. Potential avoidance of significant future state and local government costs and lost revenues in the rare event of a major nuclear plant incident.
Rebuttal to Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance:
The Legislative Analyst’s Office would have us believe that nuclear power plants are too big to fail. Here at California Nuclear Initiative, we think not.
The fiscal analysis noted in this article is a nuclear industry dream come true. It is also false. The analysis suggests that, if the nuclear power plants are closed by an initiative it will cause rolling blackouts. However, the same analysis suggests that if the power plants are closed because of a nuclear accident, it will not cause rolling blackouts. The nuclear industry itself would never think it could get away with such nonsense. To have the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office sign such a statement… the analysis should have been gift wrapped and place under the nuclear industry’s Christmas tree.
The LAO has no documentation from any state agency that blackouts will occur, but based this solely on a conversation with someone from the Independent System Operators — someone who refuses to state this on the record and refuses to be named. Luckily, the average voter in California is educated enough to see through such a smoke screen. It simply and graphically demonstrates that the energy industry and our state and federal governments are too closely allied.
When we closed the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant, they said there would be rolling blackouts. They said there would be rolling blackouts for years to come in Japan. There were supposed to be rolling blackouts in California during the energy crises in 2000. These blackouts didn’t occur and there is documented evidence they won’t occur when we close California’s nuclear power plants. The facts of the matter show that the fiscal analysis’ claims we will have blackouts if the initiative passes, but not if we have a nuclear accident, is exactly and obviously the opposite of the truth.
The state has an entire year to prepare for this initiative. A nuclear accident doesn’t announce itself so one can prepare a year ahead.
Happy Holidays nuclear industry!
Ben Davis Jr., California Nuclear Initiative Proponent
Interviews Explaining the Initiative and Why it’s Needed
San Onofre Safety 
Blackouts are a small inconvenience compared to the potential disaster awaiting us if the plant remains in operation. I am in favor of moving this initiative along any way we can and I want to do my part. Julie Tully
There won’t be any blackouts. According to CEC and CPUC data there is plenty of excess energy available. See more info on the Energy Options section on this website. Also, according to the CEC and CPUC, the nuclear plant owners have refused to provide information on what their plans are for electrical power when their licenses expire or if the plants need to be taken off line. After the September 8th, 2011 blackout, San Onofre was still down and all SDG&E customers had power in Southern California. As Ben Davis states, the opponents always claim brownouts will happen, but that’s not the reality.
And the California ISO Transmission Plan says there will be no grid stability issues with San Onofre shut down — even in peak summer months under worse case scenarios. Their spokes person in the media says things like “there ‘could’ be rolling blackouts”. However, their own documentation doesn’t support this. It states: “Following plots for two of the most severe contingencies and for a sudden loss of load demonstrate that there are no stability concerns related to SONGS units”. For details, go to https://sanonofresafety.org/
I just spoke to Ben Davis and amongst other frustrating issues, he said that the LAO could not even provide documentation from any source for the assumptions over rolling blackouts. They told him it was conveyed to them verbally and would not cite the source.
From the Fukushima Project:
California Tries TEPCO’s Failed Doom & Gloom Tactic When Faced With Nuclear Shutdown
I will be on the look-out for the California Nuclear Initiative petition and do all I can to obtain signatures especially here in Mission Viejo. Julie
The “other side” has someone reeeeeeally powerful inside the AG’s office to get the wording so biased in their direction. It’s a direct hit to discredit us before we manage to get any traction. They’re going to throw millions to lobbyists and PR firms to attempt to sink us before we can float. That’s the battleground — education, repetition of the truth, the logic of shutting them down, and making an emotional connection with people, one by one. Thanks for this, Ben; let’s all get the talking points so we can counter the nuke industry numnutz.
This is a very important California initiative, we must do all we can to support and help get this initiative on the ballot.
It’s exciting to see the initiative ready for download! I will do my part to obtain as many signatures as i can. I will also find friends to do the same. This will take a herculean effort but I have a feeling that the David and Goliath spirt is in this group!
Julie
The Officers of the State Central Committee of the Peace and Freedom Party, a ballot status party in California, endorsed this initiative on December 7, 2011. We will be circulating the petition and gathering signatures state-wide. – Tom Lacey, Secretary Peace and Freedom Party of California
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If possible, I would like to see an online petition for this.
Unfortunately, the Secretary of State does not allow online petition signing, so you need to download the form from here before signing.
Hi Everyone! Keep up the Great Work!!!
Here is a link to the main Occupy California Web Team that is linked to the Occupations across California: http://occupyca.wordpress.com/submit-an-article/#comment-9913
When you go to the OccupyCA site, all the Occupations are on the right side bar to post your web-page on and request the General Assemblies all vote to circulate the petitions in solidarity.
I posted a tweet text people can copy paste and tweet to spread the word also:
Photo: California Nuclear Initiative “Let me tell you what happens when people lose confidence in the NRC… http://tmblr.co/ZMiujwFm7k5P
I also posted a tumblr post to allow those who tumble to reblog like the wind:
http://paulcurrier.tumblr.com/post/16913457497/california-nuclear-initiative-let-me-tell-you
And I emailed this news out to a small list server to 200 activists where I asked them to help out.
Your on your own to post to all the Occupations in California and here is the list to make it easier for you: http://occupyca.wordpress.com/links/
comrades & info
Adv. the Struggle
Anti-Capital Projects
Bay of Rage
bicycle barricade
Electro Riot
imaginary committee
La Ventana Collective
ludmila p
Modesto Anarcho
Oakland Occupy Patriarchy
occupy everything
occupy SFSU
occupy UCI
rebel radio
reclaim uc
Research and Destroy
Serf City Revolt
she’s a marxist
Socialism and/or Barbarism
those who use it
unpermitted LA
We Are Still The Crisis
We are the Crisis
#Occupations
#75River
#OccupyChico
#OccupyDavis
#OccupyFresno
#OccupyHumboldt
#OccupyLA
#OccupyOakland
#OccupyOC
#OccupyRedding
#OccupyRiverside
#OccupySac
#OccupySantaCruz
#OccupySantaRosa
#OccupySB
#OccupySD
#OccupySF
#OccupySJ
#OccupyUCDavis
#OccupyUkiah
#OccupyVenice
#OccupyVentura
Thanks Paul,
I will share this with our group. This is something the Occupy groups can do right now to make a difference and we need their support!
#OccupyNuclear
http://rceezwhatsup.blogspot.com/p/occupy-nuclear.html
https://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23OccupyNuclear
Ben’s article is inspiring, informative and easily understandable. I will pass this along to friends and hope it sparks their interest to do more toward shutting SanO down for good. Julie Tully
See my article about the lack of need for nuclear energy: http://www.slocoastjournal.com/docs/archives/2012/may/pages/news/no_nuc_energy.html