CMA presents"Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant: Lessons Learned from Fukushima"

Talk No. 1: 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., Building 321 Auditorium, JPL

Talk No. 2: 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., Beckman Institute Auditorium, Caltech

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility. As a result of this event, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the American nuclear power industry are reassessing the safety protocols and emergency operation systems currently in place. The lessons learned from Fukushima will be incorporated into nuclear power plant operations so that they can continue to meet the highest standards for safety and reliability. Please join us as Jearl Strickland and John Lindsey discuss the Fukushima event and compare and contrast the design of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California with that of the Japanese facility.

Jearl Strickland is a senior regional manager for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), overseeing the interface with local and state agencies, with a focus on nuclear power related topics. In his 32 years with PG&E, he has held several positions, including the chief civil engineer for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, and the chief of staff for the vice president of engineering and construction. He is a licensed civil engineer with degrees in civil engineering, project management, and business.

John Lindsey is a PG&E corporate communications representative and leads the tour program at the Diablo Canyon facility. In addition, his weather and surf forecast can be heard on KVEC-920 AM radio in San Luis Obispo, and he writes a column for the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Prior to working for PG&E, he was a marine meteorologist and research scientist with Tenera Environmental and served in the U.S. Navy for over 24 years. He received an associate of science degree from Santa Rosa Junior College.

These events are free. All members of the Campus and JPL communities and retirees are welcome. Because of security requirements, Campus personnel and retirees without Laboratory badges must be processed through the JPL Visitor Center and escorted by a JPL employee or resident affiliate for access to Building 321.

For more information, e-mail [email protected]; or call Randii Wessen, (818) 354-7580, or Athena Castro, (626) 395-6163.

Your membership in CMA is what inspires us to bring great speakers and events to Caltech (Campus and JPL). If you enjoy attending these events, please support CMA so we can continue to provide the best in thought-provoking engagements. Membership is open to all active and retired employees of Caltech and to contract employees as affiliate members. See http://cma.jpl.nasa.gov for more information about our mission.

Join now or renew your membership for FY 2011 at http://cma.jpl.nasa.gov/membership.html.