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Quake faults eyed near Calif. nuke plant

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., July 18 (UPI) -- U.S. seismologists say they are concerned about potentially dangerous earthquake faults near a nuclear power plant in California.

Noting the tsunami damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan in March, some government scientists say two active faults near the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant on the coast near San Luis Obispo could act together and produce an earthquake more powerful than the plant was built to withstand, California Watch reported Sunday.

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Pacific Gas & Electric say the 40-year-old plant is not threatened by the two active faults, the Hosgri and the Shoreline.

"Diablo Canyon was designed and constructed with seismic safety in mind and components of the facility were tested to withstand probable ground motions resulting from nearby faults," PG&E spokesman Blair Jones said in a statement.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has delayed relicensing the plant, saying it would wait until sophisticated seismic mapping is completed.

The California Public Utilities Commission has authorized PG&E to spend more than $16 million on seismic studies to evaluate earthquake threats near the plant, California Watch said.

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