Plagued by cooling system problems and the near end of their operating permit, Southern California Edison made the decision to permanently shut down the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in June 2013.
There are many decommissioned nuclear power plants across the U.S., so Edison is required to follow the decommissioning process and model set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Edison established a Community Engagement Panel to act as a public body to ask questions and promote dialogue on the many issues that stem from decommissioning the nuclear power plant. This panel is composed of citizen professionals from diverse but related perspectives and points of view, but has no authority to deliberate or make recommendations.
Coastkeeper’s Founder and President, Garry Brown, was invited to sit on the Community Engagement Panel and voice Coastkeeper’s opinion. Coastkeeper wants the spent fuel removed from the site as soon as possible and stored permanently in the most secure containers available.
San Onofre is waterfront, freeway front, and railroad front with over 8 million people residing within a 50-mile radius – conditions not suitable for long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. Coastkeeper is committed to working toward solutions, such as making consolidated interim storage a reality.
