By David Sneed
The Tribune (San Louis Obispo)
SAN LOUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A report by the civil grand jury gives high marks to the county';s emergency planning team but recommends that another escape route be developed for Avila Beach residents in the event of a radiation leak from Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.
The report released this week is the first issued by the county';s grand jury, which was impanelled in July. The panel typically releases numerous reports on investigations into civil matters in the county during its yearlong tenure.
Called “Diablo Canyon: San Luis Obispo’s Katrina?” the report looks at the county';s entire emergency preparedness regarding the nuclear power plant in light of the failure of emergency response in New Orleans following the 2005 hurricane.
“Could there be another Katrina in San Luis Obispo County?” the report concludes. “Clearly, the answer is no.”
The report contains four recommendations:
• Work with landowner San Miguelito Partners to establish another emergency evacuation route from Avila Beach using Bluff Drive, a dirt road that connects Cave Landing Road with Shell Beach.
The road is currently too degraded to be used as an evacuation route.
• Mail emergency preparedness information directly to county households every year.
The information is available currently in the AT&T telephone directory.
• Organize informational meetings with groups of residents with special needs and their caretakers to discuss emergency response, including ways to evacuate.
• Prepare and distribute to obstetricians and pediatricians an information sheet about using potassium iodide.
The drug can be taken to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in the event of a radiation release.
The report also requests that information contained in the phone book about potassium iodide be fact-checked.
For example, the book says the pills can be obtained at local pharmacies, but the grand jury could not find a single one that carries them.
03