Quake risk may be lower at Calif nuclear plant

Note.... one would hope that regardless of the estimated risk of earthquake in any given area, any nuclear power plant, built anywhere in the world, regardless of whether if its in a known-earthquake zone or not, would be built to withstand a magniture 10 earthquake!

SFGate: Quake risk may be lower at Calif nuclear plant
(01-20) 09:10 PST San Luis Obispo, Calif. (AP) --

The earthquake risk near a California central coast nuclear plant may lower than previously thought.

When the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant was built 30 years ago, it was estimated the area's Hosgri Fault could produce a magnitude-7.5 quake. The Pacific Gas & Electric Co. plant near San Luis Obispo was designed to withstand that size quake.

PG&E seismologist Norm Abrahamson now says recent studies and sophisticated geological modeling have provided 10 times more data about the Hosgri Fault. The risk has been downgraded to about half the original estimate.

The San Luis Obispo Tribunes says the shake potential is now about the same as three nearby smaller faults — the Los Osos, San Luis Bay and Shoreline faults.

The new information was presented Wednesday to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission