An August decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to let spent radioactive fuel remain in storage at the defunct San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station indefinitely does not sit well with elected leaders in San Clemente, the plant’s closest neighbor.
The City Council, on a 4-0 vote Tuesday night, adopted a resolution calling on the government to create a safe repository for nuclear waste and take radioactive fuel away from San Onofre as soon as it can be done safely.
Reasons for the city’s request include the nuclear fuel’s proximity to a dense population zone and its vulnerability to earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires and terror attacks, said residents and nuclear activists who attended the council meeting and who wanted the resolution to include stronger public protections from radioactive waste.
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The resolution says San Clemente supports Senate Bill 2326, California Sen. Barbara Boxer’s legislation to allow greater participation by state and local governments in decommissioning of nuclear plants.
The resolution also calls on the DOE and NRC to renew efforts to find a lasting solution to the nuclear fuel quandary, including a renewed effort to establish underground storage at a previously planned but canceled federal site, Yucca Mountain, Nev.
Several council members picked apart the resolution, eliminating some clauses including those concerning storage casks, fuel handling, monitoring and repair that nuclear activists wanted included. Mayor Tim Brown said the message should focus on getting the waste out of San Onofre. Councilman Bob Baker said the other issues were a distraction from the main message.
Read more at City to feds: Get nuclear waste out of San Onofre
