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Subject: Terrorism/Nuclear Power Plant Court Ruling -- Sierra Club Statement
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 14:21:39 -0700


For Immediate Release: June 2, 2006
Contact: Annie Strickler, (415) 977-5619
Pat Gallagher, (415) 977-5709

   Court Rules Terrorism Risks Must Be Considered for Nuclear Power Plants
           Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

"We applaud the court's decision today that the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission must consider the potential impacts from a terrorist attack on
nuclear facilities when conducting environmental reviews. It is common
sense that we take every precaution to protect Americans from terrorism and
sabotage. The courts are proving what Americans already know: protecting
nuclear plants from potential terrorism attacks also protects our
communities, our health and our environment."

A copy of the ruling is available at
http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/downloads/2006-06-02diablodecision.pdf

Background:
The Sierra Club and Mothers for Peace filed a federal lawsuit challenging
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s issuance of an amended nuclear license
that allows the construction and operation of a long-term nuclear waste
storage facility at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which is located
near San Luis Obispo, California.  The Club's primary concern is that the
proposed nuclear waste storage facility presents a target for cataclysmic
acts of terrorism and sabotage.  The facility's liquid storage pools are
vulnerable to overhead attack, which could cause the pools to lose water.
If water were lost from the pools, equipment would heat up and ignite, and
radioactivity would literally boil out of the pools.  The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission refused to examine the environmental and health risks
associated with a potential act of terrorism despite requests from the
public, California Attorney General Lockyer, and Senator Feinstein.  Today,
the Ninth ruled that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has to analyze
potential impacts from a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility.

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