Bodega Bay Nuclear Power Plant facts for kids
The Bodega Bay Nuclear Power Plant was a plan to build a nuclear power plant in Northern California. However, it was never built because local people protested against it in the 1960s. The place where the plant was supposed to be built was very close to the San Andreas Fault, a major earthquake fault line. This project is often called "the start of the anti-nuclear movement."
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Why a Power Plant?
In 1958, a company called Pacific Gas & Electric wanted to build a nuclear power plant in a small fishing village called Bodega Bay, California. This village is about 50 miles north of San Francisco. The company hoped it would be the first successful commercial nuclear power plant in the United States.
Concerns About the Location
The idea of building the plant caused a lot of disagreement. Many local people were worried. The proposed site was very close to the San Andreas Fault. This is a huge crack in the Earth's crust where earthquakes often happen.
Protecting Nature and Livelihoods
The area around Bodega Bay is also important for fishing and dairy farms. Fishermen worried that the plant's location and warm water discharge would harm their fishing business. Other people simply wanted their quiet, simple way of life to remain undisturbed.
Local Protests Begin
A local resident named Rose Gaffney owned land that the power company needed. She sued the company to keep her property. She also invited government officials to see the earthquake fault lines on the proposed site.
Help from Environmental Groups
The Sierra Club, a well-known environmental group, also joined the fight. They strongly opposed the chosen location for the plant. Even the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, said he was "gravely concerned" about the Bodega site.
A Growing Movement
A group called the Northern California Association to Preserve Bodega Head (NCAPBH) was formed. They sent out press releases and appealed to different government groups. In June 1963, NCAPBH held a public meeting. About 1,500 helium balloons were released into the sky. Each balloon carried a message: "This balloon could represent a radioactive molecule of strontium 90 or iodine 131." These substances were known from debates about fallout from nuclear weapons testing.
The Project is Stopped
The protests worked. In 1964, the United States Atomic Energy Commission gave a negative review of the project. Because of this, Pacific Gas & Electric decided to stop their plans for the plant. They withdrew their application.
By this time, a large pit had already been dug for the plant's foundation. This pit is near the end of Bodega Head. Since the project was abandoned, the pit has partly filled with water and become a pond. People in the area informally call it the "Hole in the Head." Many historians believe that the protests at Bodega Bay marked the true beginning of the anti-nuclear movement in the United States.
Images for kids
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Old foundation excavation at Bodega Bay Nuclear Power Plant site, locally called the "Hole in the Head"
