Spills

Morro bay, california

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant; Morro Bay, California · NOAAORR-6462

issued
1987-04-21 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1987-05-05 00:00Z
self-cancels
1987-05-05 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
North Pacific Ocean
position
35.367, -120.846
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant; Morro Bay, California.
Morro Bay, California.
1. At approximately 0940 on April 21, 1987, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, Alameda, was notified by the Coast Guard National Response Center in Washington, D.C. that a check valve had malfunctioned at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in Morro Bay, California. Sixty-eight pounds of ferric sulfate had been mixed with 5,500 gallons of water in the plant's reverse osmosis facility and inadvertently discharged into a small bay with direct access to the Pacific Ocean. An orange-yellow, scum-like material was noticed floating on the surface of the embayment in the vicinity of the discharge pipe. All of the requisite Federal State agencies and local environmental concerns were notified immediately. Samples were immediately taken in the vicinity of the discharge to determine the toxicity level. The check valve was repaired the same day and the nuclear power plant returned to normal [...]
2. COMMODITY: FERRIC SULFATE. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 68 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 35.367N 120.846W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6462: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6462

This area · spills & pollution incidents

319 within 180 nm since 1969 · 19 in the last 12 months · 1 in force now

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Timeline · 2 messages since 1987-04-21 · closed 1987-05-24

  1. Morro bay, california this message1987-04-21 → 1987-05-05
  2. San luis obispo, california1987-05-10 → 1987-05-24

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Spills

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