Ellie Ripley's letter of Dec. 21, 2017 ("Safe, clean, and reliable"), is filled with misleading and inaccurate information about the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. I wish to correct her most glaring errors.

First, Ripley says, "There are no dirty emissions released into the air that can spread freely into the atmosphere." In reality, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows all commercial nuclear power plants to routinely release radioactive gases and liquids.

Second, Ripley claims there are no safety issues at the plant. In 2013, the NRC identified Diablo Canyon Unit 1 as the third most embrittled reactor in the United States. This means it's less likely to be able to handle the stress of a sudden shock, such as the rapid water-cooling of the reactor in an emergency. A Fukushima-like earthquake-tsunami could cause a core meltdown.

Ripley characterizes closing Diablo Canyon as "environmental hypocrisy." In fact, Diablo's antiquated cooling system sucks in 2.5 billion gallons of water daily and discharges it back into the ocean, killing 1.5 billion fish larvae annually. That's environmental hypocrisy!

Finally, she claims renewables will not be ready by 2025 to replace Diablo's lost power. PG&E affirms it can replace Diablo Canyon with 100 percent renewable energy by then.

Jerry B. Brown

director, Safe Energy Project

Santa Barbara