FILE – The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is seen June 1, 2023, in Avila Beach, Calif. The power plant was scheduled to close by 2025. But the Legislature changed course in September 2022 and opened a path for the reactors to keep running. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, operator Pacific Gas & Electric asked federal regulators to extend the plant’s operation while, supporters and critics clashed at a state hearing on Diablo Canyon’s future. (Laura Dickinson/The Tribune via AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than a year after California endorsed a proposal to extend the lifespan of its last nuclear power plant, disputes continue to swirl about the safety of its decades-old reactors, whether more than $1 billion in public financing for the extension could be in jeopardy and even if the electricity is needed in the dawning age of renewables.

Late last month, a state judge tentatively approved the blueprint to keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant operating for an additional five years, until 2030. The proposal, which could get finalized later this month, imposed several conditions, including that federal nuclear safety regulators greenlight the longer run and that a state loan supporting the extension is not canceled.

The twin reactors, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, began operating in the mid-1980s. They supply up to 9% of the state’s electricity on any given day.

Environmentalists argue California has adequate power without the reactors and that their continued operation could hinder development of new sources of clean energy. They also warn that long-delayed testing on one of the reactors poses a safety risk that could result in an accident, a claim disputed by operator Pacific Gas & Electric.

Public Utilities Commission Administrative Law Judge Ehren D. Seybert’s proposed ruling did not directly address yet another question: Whether a past felony conviction against PG&E might pose an obstacle to the government financing for the extension.

California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement and for decades has had a fraught relationship with nuclear power. In 2016, PG&E, environmental groups and plant worker unions reached an agreement to close Diablo Canyon by 2025. But the Legislature voided the deal last year at the urging of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the power is needed to ward off blackouts as climate change stresses the energy system.

PG&E says it wants to keep the plant open to “ensure statewide electrical reliability and combat climate change” at the direction of the state. But the plant has to clear a series of state and federal regulatory hurdles, and it remains in dispute how much ratepayers will ultimately have to pay to keep it open.

On Tuesday, the same day that PG&E submitted its application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to keep the reactors running, supporters and critics clashed in a state utilities commission hearing over whether the plan is a sound investment or a financially reckless gamble. The utility is seeking a 20-year extension, typical in the industry, but emphasized the state would control how long the plant runs.

Matthew Freedman, an attorney with the advocacy group The Utility Reform Network, told regulators that PG&E was looking for a “blank check” from ratepayers.

The fight is playing out as the long-struggling nuclear industry sees a potential rebirth in the era of global warming. Nuclear power doesn’t produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels, but it leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries.

In September, environmental and anti-nuclear groups called on federal regulators to shut down one of Diablo Canyon’s reactors. Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace said in a petition filed with the NRC that tests and inspections have been delayed for nearly 20 years on a pressure vessel in the Unit 1 reactor. They also argued that the steel wall in Unit 1 might be deteriorating from sustained exposure to radiation and is becoming susceptible to cracking, a condition technically known as embrittlement.

The pressure vessels are thick steel containers that hold nuclear fuel and cooling water in the reactors. The NRC took no action on the request and instead asked agency staff to review it.

PG&E has maintained the plant is safe, an assessment endorsed by the NRC.

PG&E was expected to begin embrittlement testing on the vessel last month, with the plant shut down for refueling. But it told legislators that workers couldn’t remove samples inside the vessel because they did not have the correct equipment to access them.

PG&E has said workers would try again during the next refueling period, which could be as much as two years away. Once removed, evaluating the material can take another year. Under that scenario, it’s possible that information might not be available until after state reviews are completed and the NRC has considered the utility’s request for extended licenses.

State Sen. John Laird and Assembly member Dawn Addis, both Democrats, urged PG&E to determine if alternative testing can be used. In a letter to the utility, they lamented the lost opportunity to answer “allegations that the vessel is dangerously embrittled.”

Financing questions also have emerged.

In 2016, a federal jury found PG&E guilty of multiple felonies for failing to properly inspect gas pipelines before a 2010 blast that incinerated a neighborhood in San Bruno, south of San Francisco, killing eight people. Federal rules generally prohibit the government from entering into a contract with any corporation with a federal felony conviction, though exceptions can be made.

The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, an anti-nuclear group, has alleged that PG&E failed to disclose its conviction before it received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Energy last year for $1.1 billion in funding for the extension.

Both the Energy Department and PG&E declined to answer directly when asked by The Associated Press if the conviction was disclosed to the department. DOE spokesman Chad Smith said in an email that “DOE is in active discussions” with the utility, without providing further specifics. PG&E said it is eligible for the money because it already received conditional approval last year.

The Biden administration gave preliminary approval for the Energy Department funding in November. The financing came through the administration’s civil nuclear credit program, which is intended to bail out financially distressed owners or operators of nuclear power reactors as part of the administration’s effort to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, compared with 2005 levels.

The alliance said that if a failure to disclose the conviction is confirmed, PG&E could see its hopes for a longer run at Diablo Canyon extinguished — and possibly expose the company to penalties. Also at risk could be a $1.4 billion, forgivable state loan authorized by the Legislature, the alliance said, which is expected to be paid back with the federal funds. ___ This story has been corrected to show the state senator’s name is John Laird, not Robert Laird.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than a year after California endorsed a proposal to extend the lifespan of its last nuclear power plant, disputes continue to swirl about the safety of its decades-old reactors, whether more than $1 billion in public financing for the extension could be in jeopardy and even if the electricity is needed in the dawning age of renewables.

Late last month, a state judge tentatively approved the blueprint to keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant operating for an additional five years, until 2030. The proposal, which could get finalized later this month, imposed several conditions, including that federal nuclear safety regulators greenlight the longer run and that a state loan supporting the extension is not canceled.

The twin reactors, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, began operating in the mid-1980s. They supply up to 9% of the state’s electricity on any given day.

Environmentalists argue California has adequate power without the reactors and that their continued operation could hinder development of new sources of clean energy. They also warn that long-delayed testing on one of the reactors poses a safety risk that could result in an accident, a claim disputed by operator Pacific Gas & Electric.

Public Utilities Commission Administrative Law Judge Ehren D. Seybert’s proposed ruling did not directly address yet another question: Whether a past felony conviction against PG&E might pose an obstacle to the government financing for the extension.

California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement and for decades has had a fraught relationship with nuclear power. In 2016, PG&E, environmental groups and plant worker unions reached an agreement to close Diablo Canyon by 2025. But the Legislature voided the deal last year at the urging of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the power is needed to ward off blackouts as climate change stresses the energy system.

PG&E says it wants to keep the plant open to “ensure statewide electrical reliability and combat climate change” at the direction of the state. But the plant has to clear a series of state and federal regulatory hurdles, and it remains in dispute how much ratepayers will ultimately have to pay to keep it open.

On Tuesday, the same day that PG&E submitted its application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to keep the reactors running, supporters and critics clashed in a state utilities commission hearing over whether the plan is a sound investment or a financially reckless gamble. The utility is seeking a 20-year extension, typical in the industry, but emphasized the state would control how long the plant runs.

Matthew Freedman, an attorney with the advocacy group The Utility Reform Network, told regulators that PG&E was looking for a “blank check” from ratepayers.

The fight is playing out as the long-struggling nuclear industry sees a potential rebirth in the era of global warming. Nuclear power doesn’t produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels, but it leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries.

In September, environmental and anti-nuclear groups called on federal regulators to shut down one of Diablo Canyon’s reactors. Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace said in a petition filed with the NRC that tests and inspections have been delayed for nearly 20 years on a pressure vessel in the Unit 1 reactor. They also argued that the steel wall in Unit 1 might be deteriorating from sustained exposure to radiation and is becoming susceptible to cracking, a condition technically known as embrittlement.

The pressure vessels are thick steel containers that hold nuclear fuel and cooling water in the reactors. The NRC took no action on the request and instead asked agency staff to review it.

PG&E has maintained the plant is safe, an assessment endorsed by the NRC.

PG&E was expected to begin embrittlement testing on the vessel last month, with the plant shut down for refueling. But it told legislators that workers couldn’t remove samples inside the vessel because they did not have the correct equipment to access them.

PG&E has said workers would try again during the next refueling period, which could be as much as two years away. Once removed, evaluating the material can take another year. Under that scenario, it’s possible that information might not be available until after state reviews are completed and the NRC has considered the utility’s request for extended licenses.

State Sen. John Laird and Assembly member Dawn Addis, both Democrats, urged PG&E to determine if alternative testing can be used. In a letter to the utility, they lamented the lost opportunity to answer “allegations that the vessel is dangerously embrittled.”

Financing questions also have emerged.

In 2016, a federal jury found PG&E guilty of multiple felonies for failing to properly inspect gas pipelines before a 2010 blast that incinerated a neighborhood in San Bruno, south of San Francisco, killing eight people. Federal rules generally prohibit the government from entering into a contract with any corporation with a federal felony conviction, though exceptions can be made.

The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, an anti-nuclear group, has alleged that PG&E failed to disclose its conviction before it received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Energy last year for $1.1 billion in funding for the extension.

Both the Energy Department and PG&E declined to answer directly when asked by The Associated Press if the conviction was disclosed to the department. DOE spokesman Chad Smith said in an email that “DOE is in active discussions” with the utility, without providing further specifics. PG&E said it is eligible for the money because it already received conditional approval last year.

The Biden administration gave preliminary approval for the Energy Department funding in November. The financing came through the administration’s civil nuclear credit program, which is intended to bail out financially distressed owners or operators of nuclear power reactors as part of the administration’s effort to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, compared with 2005 levels.

The alliance said that if a failure to disclose the conviction is confirmed, PG&E could see its hopes for a longer run at Diablo Canyon extinguished — and possibly expose the company to penalties. Also at risk could be a $1.4 billion, forgivable state loan authorized by the Legislature, the alliance said, which is expected to be paid back with the federal funds. ___ This story has been corrected to show the state senator’s name is John Laird, not Robert Laird.

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“As is clear from our recent run of notable litigation hires, the expansion of our corporate investigations, international arbitration and cross-border disputes capabilities has been a priority for Pillsbury in recent years, knowing just how important those matters have become for our clients, ” said Deborah Baum, leader of the firm’s global litigation section. “Adam checks all those boxes, and more. He enhances our litigation team in San Francisco, our market-leading China practice, and also adds new depth on the West Coast when it comes to international trade compliance work. We are thrilled to have him on the team.”

Goldberg regularly represents technology, gaming, financial services, health care, life sciences and consumer products companies on government and internal investigations, on issues relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) violations, commercial bribery, violations of US and Hong Kong securities laws , embezzlement, the fraudulent transfer of corporate funds, and US sanctions violations. In addition, he frequently provides counsel on matters pertaining to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), sanctions and export controls compliance. In addition to a robust investigations-focused practice, Goldberg is frequently engaged on cross-border litigation and international arbitration matters, including securities class actions and complex commercial litigation. While much of his work pertains to China, he also has experience advising on issues in connection with Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and other Asian countries.

A fluent Mandarin speaker who spent a decade practicing law in Hong Kong, Goldberg is recognized as an “Up and Coming” partner in the Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption section of Chambers Global and was named a 2021 “national leader” for Mainland China and Hong Kong by Who’s Who Legal: Investigations.

“I look forward to returning to the Bay Area and to joining a renowned international firm with a substantial California presence, a deep bench of regulatory and cross-border experience, and a commitment to Asia,” Goldberg said. “With its long and illustrious history in Asia, Pillsbury was particularly attractive to me. That lengthy track record, combined with the firm’s obvious emphasis on building out its white collar and government investigations capabilities, present an ideal platform for me and my clients.”

Pillsbury’s China practice has been growing significantly in recent years, including the 2021 recruitment of former federal prosecutor Ronald Cheng as a litigation partner in Los Angeles and the earlier arrival of five practitioners in China-focused litigators in New York led by partner Geoffrey Sant. Notably, Pillsbury’s China practice was shortlisted as “Firm of the Year” in 2022 for International Dispute Resolution. The inclusion marks a second consecutive year receiving this prestigious recognition from China Law & Practice Awards.

Pillsbury’s award-winning team of more than 200 litigators works with clients around the world to help them successfully resolve disputes, in trial and out of court, at home and in jurisdictions around the globe. The firm has garnered dozens of top-tier recognitions as a result of its exceptional litigation prowess, and was most recently recognized as one of the 12 most feared law firms to come up against in litigation by BTI Consulting Group.

The post New Pillsbury Companion Adam Goldberg Provides Huge Cross-border Investigations and Disputes Expertise to San Francisco Workplace appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Larry Elder’s former fiancé said Thursday that the Conservative radio talk show host, now running for governorship in California, showed her a gun during a heated argument in 2015.

Elder, widely regarded as the leader of the Republicans running to succeed Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in next month’s recall election, made a statement saying, “I’ve never thrown a gun at anyone.” Elder , who aspires to become California’s first black governor, noted that he grew up in South Los Angeles, an area with high levels of violent crime.

“I know exactly how destructive this type of behavior is,” he said.

Alexandra Datig’s accusation, first reported by Politico, comes less than four weeks until the election on September 14th and at a time when the postal ballot papers have already reached the voters. Elder said he intended to “focus on the issues” that inspired the recall of Republicans who were angry with Newsom’s progressive policies and handling of the pandemic.

His campaign said he was planning weekend rallies.

• KPIX 5 Interview: Governor Newsom on upcoming recall election, state COVID response

Datig, 51, a longtime Los Angeles resident, said she worked on Elders Show and they lived together during their 18-month love affair from 2013 to 2015. A letter and other records from Datig to The Associated Press – including a 6th 2015 email writing about the breakdown of their engagement – outlined a portrait of an emotionally abusive relationship in which Elder routinely used medical marijuana in excess.

Datig claims Elder got high during the 2015 argument and went to a cabinet where he kept his weapon “and made sure it was in my sight”.

“He didn’t point it at me, but he wanted to make sure I knew he was looking,” to see if it was loaded, she told the AP.

Threatening another person with a gun could constitute a criminal offense, but Datig said she never reported it to the police.

Elder did not specifically address the cannabis use claim in the questions AP asked of his campaign. His testimony in response to Datig’s allegations of abuse was broadly based on “lewd allegations.”

“It is precisely because of this kind of politics of personal destruction that people do not come into public life. I will not honor that with an answer – it is below me, ”Elder wrote. A short time later he tweeted: “They come up to me with every dirty trick because they know what’s coming on September 14th.”

Datig supports one of Elder’s Republican rivals, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Earlier this week, Faulconer began criticizing Elder and specifically questioning his attitudes towards women. He noted, among other things, that Elder had written that employers should be able to ask women if and when they plan to become pregnant.

“Larry Elder has neither the judgment nor the character to run our state,” Faulconer said in response to Datig’s allegations.

Another Republican in the running, State Representative Kevin Kiley, said in a statement that he found Datig’s claims worrying.

“I believe that every woman who comes up deserves to be heard and Mrs Datig’s deeply troubling report should be treated with the utmost seriousness. Mr. Elder should be given every opportunity to comment, ”he said.

In a televised debate on Thursday evening with Faulconer, Kiley and his GOP colleague John Cox, however, the topic never came up.

• ALSO READ: Bay Area Recall Candidate runs on Anti-Mask platform

Elder took part in the race in July, and Datig said she had waited until now to come forward because at first she didn’t think he would be competitive.

“I didn’t take it seriously, but when Larry started to be on trend and become the front runner, I was very worried,” she said.

The documents made available by Datig describe months of emotional stress caused by the escalating romantic and business relationship. “I feel trapped and scared,” she wrote in the mail.

Datig also provided the AP with a copy of a confidentiality agreement she signed in 2014 prohibiting her from discussing the “personal and business matters” of Elder and his business, Laurence A. Elder & Associates, Inc., from going with their allegations to the public.

A letter from her attorney dated March 31, 2015 to Elder asked for $ 6,000 in monthly support for Datig for one year to cover expenses such as rent, auto, and health care expenses. She also asked for $ 195,000 for public relations, marketing, and other services that she allegedly provided for his show.

The two eventually signed an agreement on April 13, 2015, under which Elder would pay Datig $ 20,000 and pay for her legal maintenance of $ 5,000 and $ 185 for dry cleaning her wedding dress. Elder agreed that he and his assistant would sign a non-disclosure agreement on anything related to Datig, that he would write her a letter of recommendation for her work, and that they would both “stop insulting each other.”

Datig describes herself as a survivor of the sex trade and has publicly announced that she is working for the so-called former Hollywood woman Heidi Fleiss, who was convicted in the mid-1990s for running a high-priced call girl ring, a conviction that was later overturned. Fleiss was later sentenced to federal prison for defrauding her taxes and laundering call girls’ profits. In an interview with KCAL-TV in 2013, Datig described that he became an informant at Fleiss.

© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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