Irvine Mayor Larry Agran and Chief Policy Advisor Scotty Hong are advancing a regional safety plan for 3.6 million pounds of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre. This waste, stored in 123 temporary canisters near the shoreline, presents a long-lasting danger to Southern California.
For over four decades, federal progress on a permanent repository has stalled, and interim storage attempts failed. San Onofre is now a de facto nuclear waste dump. The existing thin-walled canisters, not designed for long-term storage, are vulnerable to corrosion and cracking. Stored openly near the Pacific Ocean and Interstate-5, they face multiple environmental and security threats. Each canister holds about one-third the deadly Cesium-137 released in the 2011 Fukushima disaster, raising regional contamination concerns.
Recognizing this is not solely a federal issue, the local initiative seeks a practical, interim safety plan. Mayor Agran and Mr. Hong collaborate with technical and academic partners, including Dr. David Richardson of UC Irvine, and postdoctoral researchers. Southern California Edison, the site operator, is also engaged.
One concept explores moving the spent fuel canisters after San Onofre’s decommissioning. The proposal suggests securing them onto higher ground within an above-ground, fortified storage facility at the adjacent “domes” site. This facility, designed for long-term monitoring, emergency protection, and public accountability, would be built to last at least 100 years. It aims to prevent corrosion and withstand hazards like flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis, fire, and security threats. Examples from Switzerland and Germany demonstrate such fortified facilities.
A comprehensive safety plan also requires a "hot cell" facility. This shielded structure would enable experts to inspect canisters and contents, allowing safe repackaging if needed. Without this capability, Southern California would be largely unable to respond to canister degradation or damage.
The initiative promotes a science-based, transparent, and regional approach, involving local governments, county and state agencies, federal regulators, Southern California Edison, UC Irvine researchers, residents, and community organizations. Public awareness is vital, similar to activism leading to San Onofre’s permanent closure in 2013. Concerned citizens recently displayed banners on Interstate-5 overpasses near San Onofre in May and June, highlighting the waste. The urgency for Southern California to lead on an interim safety plan is evident to prevent a regional disaster.
