California IN BRIEF : SAN LUIS OBISPO : Small Quake Rattles Nuclear Reactor

A small earthquake shook the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, but no damage was reported. Operators declared an “unusual event” as required by federal law, but plant safety was not affected, said Brad Thomas, spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric. The quake occurred at 12:27 a.m. Friday and was felt by several people at the twin-reactor plant, Thomas said. Both reactors were operating at the time and continued to operate, Thomas said. Seismologists at the California Institute of Technology estimated a preliminary magnitude of the quake at 3.2. The quake was centered 11 miles southwest of San Luis Obispo. The nuclear plant is on a beach 12 miles southwest of the city.