Tell Congress to Get Nuclear Waste Off the California Coast!

1243

Goal: 2500

Southern California Edison has been storing 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear waste at the recently decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), within 100 feet of the beach. SONGS has always been exposed to the risks of earthquakes, bluff erosion, storm surge, and wave events.

Each year, SONGS is increasingly threatened by rising sea levels, growing rates of coastal erosion, elevating groundwater tables and likelihood for more frequent and severe storms resulting from climate change. These conditions require that nuclear waste must be removed from the dynamic and vulnerable coastline as soon as possible.

The federal government is the only entity that has the authority to supply a long-term solution for storage of nuclear waste offsite. You deserve to know that your coastal areas are safe and protected - call upon our federal elected officials to step up and address this important and pressing issue TODAY.

The safe removal and long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) away from the coast is a national issue, affecting many communities in California and throughout the United States. To date, the U.S. government has failed to produce a solution for the safe, long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel, despite the millions of pounds currently stored at operating and decommissioned nuclear power plants across the country. Surfrider asks that the federal government take the best course of action to develop federal legislation that includes:

Long-Term Storage, including a plan for the safe removal of SNF;
Consent-based Siting, with consent from affected communities for future siting for SNF storage and disposal;
Federal Accountability, including timeline requirements, incentives for sites to accept SNF, and viable enforcement mechanisms; and
Environmental Review and Resource Protection, including a grant for states to perform an environmental review over the future transportation, storage and siting of SNF

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Phone *

Street Address *

Address 1 *

Latitude

Longditude

City *

ZIP code *

State *

Country *

Edit address

We'll notify your representative

Please enter a complete address to continue.

Dear [recipient position will go here] [recipient name will go here],

Your Letter *

Americans deserve fulfillment of a promise made by the federal government decades ago: safe storage of spent nuclear fuel. This national problem has even higher urgency at coastal nuclear plants, where stranded fuel is exposed to severe coastal hazards.

Specifically, we demand that Congress provide a long-term solution for the 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste that has been generated at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), near the border of Orange and San Diego Counties in California.

The Department of Energy has not allocated a location for spent fuel at SONGS after Yucca Mountain, Nevada was removed in 2008 as a possible location and subject to 290 legal complaints.  There is currently no permanent storage plan in place, meaning the waste will sit just feet from the dynamic coastline that is susceptible to seismic activity, storm surge, sea level rise and geological instability, indefinitely. This is simply unacceptable.

The decision to leave the nuclear waste on the beach jeopardizes the lives and livelihood of over eight million people who live in the vicinity, as well as the tourists and commuters who use the busy federal I-5 freeway nearby.  There are also fragile coastal, cultural and recreational resources at stake since the site sits on the immensely popular San Onofre State Beach. The spent nuclear fuel must be removed to protect public safety, wildlife habitat, cultural resources and the San Mateo Creek watershed that the San Onofre State Beach supports. The residents of and visitors of California deserve a safe and protected coastline.

Surfrider asks that the federal government take action to develop a solution that includes: 
- Long-Term Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel away from the coast; 
- Consent-based Siting with consent of affected communities; 
- Federal Accountability; and 
- Environmental Review and Resource Protection,

Congress must take action to secure a location for a geologic repository deep underground that isolates this radioactive storage from the biosphere.  We need legislation that not only authorizes new contracts for interim consolidated storage facilities, but also requires a final resting place to be sited and a mandatory timeline for solid waste transport and permanent storage.

We call upon Congress to initiate a consent-based siting process with state environmental review, a mandatory timeline and resolution date for when this nuclear waste will be permanently removed from San Onofre beach and other decommissioned nuclear plants.

Thank you for your time and immediate attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

Email Opt In

I would like to stay informed about Coastal Preservation and other Surfrider Foundation campaigns.

Leave this field blank

This campaign is hosted by Surfrider Foundation. We will protect your privacy, and keep you informed about this campaign and others.