LLAW’s All Things Nuclear #688, Thursday, (07/11/2024)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

JUL 11, 2024

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The beach near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is very popular with families who may not be aware of the risks of radiation exposure around the plant. Credit: Diane Edmonds

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Thursday, (07/11/2024)

I say it all the time: “Nuclear energy is the dirtiest energy on planet Earth.” But here we have, coincidentally linked together, a first hand well-documented and well-written extremely dangerous (and growing) nuclear waste situation at the abandoned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) and the nearby utterly dangerous PG&E owned Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, California’s last, located just south of San Luis Obispo at Avila Beach, a neighbor to SONGS.

Writer, photographer, and anti-nuclear advocate Diane Edmonds points out and photographs some of the present, and very serious, concerns of the long shut-down and abandoned nuclear power plant (which happens to lie not far from, what to my mind, is the most dangerous nuclear power plant on American soil. Just the fact that PG&E owns the plant is reason enough to be concerned, but I have warned about the dangerous nature of the Diablo Canyon plant many times over in this blog and for years earlier.

Surprisingly and unfortunately, the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility, scheduled to be shut down in 2025, already waiting for a nuclear disaster to happen, has been given an even more dangerous lease on life by PG&E receiving billions of dollars from both California’s government and the United States’ Federal government (Taxpayers, of course). The Diablo Canyon plant. that I consider to be the 2nd most dangerous power plant on Earth next to Ukraine’s war-damaged Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is a serious radiation threat to Ukraine and parts of Europe while directly involved in a potential nuclear war. ~llaw

Voice of OC

Edmonds: Nuclear Energy is Not Clean Energy

BY DIANE EDMONDS13 hours ago Why you can trust Voice of OC

The beach near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is very popular with families who may not be aware of the risks of radiation exposure around the plant. Credit: Diane Edmonds

In honor of several recent days that call attention to the health of our all-important oceans, Earth Day, World Oceans Day, and International Surfing Day, I wrote a letter to Governor Newsom asking him to withdraw his support of nuclear energy in California.  While we can all agree that fossil fuels must be phased out to reduce the carbon footprint they leave behind, replacing them with nuclear energy is a deadly and expensive step in the wrong direction.

Calling nuclear energy ‘clean’ energy could not be further from the truth.  The ‘front end’ of the nuclear industry requires the mining of uranium – a filthy process that creates untold human and environmental damage, often rendering the mining sites uninhabitable.  The ‘back end’ of the nuclear process cycle leaves behind hundreds of millions of pounds of highly-radioactive nuclear waste at every nuclear power plant across the US.  These materials will continue to be toxic for hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer.  We need to stop making more of this deadly waste until our Federal Government identifies a location where what has already been produced can be safely stored for millennia, far away from the ocean and population centers.

Nuclear energy has also been called ‘cheap’ energy, which is completely false, considering the massive government subsidies that are required to build nuclear power plants and, later, even larger taxpayer-funded subsidies to eventually decommission the aging plants.  These subsidies amount to many, many billions of dollars – resulting in huge profits to utilities and private contractors.  With nuclear power plants taking decades to be built, and almost always running years behind schedule and way over budget, nuclear is not a quick fix for our energy needs.  Considering the many drawbacks to its use, including the high stakes in the event of a radiologic catastrophe, nuclear is not the answer to California’s energy needs.

With the rest of the US looking on California as the leader in eco-friendly policies, it is hypocritical for us to be promoting nuclear energy when renewable energy sources are setting new records in our state.  In April 2024, Newsom announced that California exceeded its clean energy goals by running 100% on clean energy for 40 out of the previous 48 days, including 11 days in a row.  Renewable energy includes widely-distributed sources such as offshore wind, onshore wind, rooftop solar, industrial-level solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and battery storage systems.  Unlike nuclear energy, technology to improve and expand the use of all of these renewables is moving quickly, with increasing efficiency and lower costs.

King Tide waves hitting the seawall that is the only barrier protecting 3.6 million pounds of highly-radioactive nuclear waste at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Credit: Diane Edmonds
The ‘Old Man’s’ surf area parking lot was closed after heavy rains washed out a section of the lot Credit: Diane Edmonds

NUCLEAR WASTE AT SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (SONGS)

When SONGS was permanently shut down in 2013, most Southern Californians thought we were safe from the threat of a disastrous radiologic accident. However, as part of the decommissioning process, the California Coastal Commission authorized Southern California Edison to bury 3.6 million pounds of highly-radioactive ‘spent-fuel waste’ in thin-walled metal canisters a mere 108 feet from the ocean, under the premise that it was ‘temporary’ storage.  The toxic waste is close to: breaking waves on a popular surfing beach; the Interstate 5 Freeway; rail lines; Camp Pendleton Marine Base; and major population centers.  It could not have been placed in a worse location.

For over 50 years, the Federal Government has been promising to find a location to safely and permanently store toxic spent-fuel waste in a deep geologic repository – but they have failed.  The  123 metal canisters at SONGS were not intended for long-term storage of radioactive waste in a corrosive marine environment.  Many esteemed scientists, nuclear experts, military advisors, academics, and environmentalists present credible scenarios indicating that there are many dangers to leaving the waste in its current location.  There is significant evidence of land instability at San Onofre as well as sea level rise occurring now, with water intrusion that could impact pipelines, foundations, roadways, and worsen soil stability.  We cannot afford to wait until even one canister leaks.  This waste must be moved to higher ground ASAP.

The entire economy of California is at risk until San Onofre’s nuclear waste is moved from its current location.  Even a minor leak would destroy the tourism industry in Southern California, with the massive evacuations that would be required.  With Anaheim’s recent approval of Disney’s $1.9 Billion ‘DisneylandForward’ expansion, Disney should be very concerned that their investment could be worthless should there be a radiation leak at San Onofre, with dire impacts for all of Southern California.  

Years of salt air and water exposure have heavily damaged the seawalls in front of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Credit: Diane Edmonds
An example of the condition of the seawall that is ‘protecting’ 3.6 million pounds of the most deadly materials on the planet Credit: Diane Edmonds

RADIOACTIVE OCEAN CONTAMINATION

Another significant environmental concern is the radioactive wastewater that is being released into the ocean as part of the decommissioning process at San Onofre.  SONGS continues to release hundreds of thousands of gallons of radioactive wastewater into the ocean on a regular basis – with some releases being even more toxic than others.  Hundreds and even thousands of surfers are in the ocean every day in front of and close to the San Onofre outflows, even on the days when radioactive wastewater is being released.  Other than very hard-to-find advance notifications on Southern California Edison’s website, surfers and swimmers are not being warned about these radioactive wastewater releases as they are occurring.  It is ironic that beaches are required to post signs warning that it is dangerous to swim for 72 hours after rain, and yet, there are no required warnings for something that can potentially cause DNA-altering damage, particularly to pregnant and nursing women.  The effects of ionizing radiation are cumulative and exponentially more damaging to female and children’s bodies than to an adult male.  Imagine the damaging health impacts that have already occurred in surfers who have surfed at San Onofre for decades.  The risks are just too high to allow this ocean contamination to continue.

With California poised to ban plastic straws and plastic bags because of the dangers they pose to our oceans, surely we can all see the hypocrisy of allowing nuclear energy’s radioactive legacy to continue to foul our beaches, damage sea life, and cause untold environmental damage to our oceans. 

We can do better for future generations.  California’s leaders must stop promoting nuclear energy and, instead, commit to expanding renewable energy sources.

After the ‘Old Man’s’ surf area parking lot was closed for several months, surfers returned in droves as soon as the lot was repaired. Credit: Diane Edmonds

Diane Edmonds – As a lifelong ocean-lover and longtime Orange County Surf Photographer, I have been drawn into the movement to get 3.6 million pounds of highly-radioactive nuclear waste moved away from the ocean at OC’s decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).  My role is to reach out to the surf community to make them aware of the dangers of radiation exposure resulting from billions of gallons of radioactive water released into the ocean at nuclear power plants.  I also am an advocate to shut down the last operating nuclear power plant in California, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County.


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TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Thursday, (07/11/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Dominion plans to operate first small modular nuclear reactor in U.S. – VPM News

VPM News

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:30 PM Marketplace. 0:00. 0:00. Available … Dominion Energy Virginia announced today it is accepting proposals for a …

Dominion hopes to develop a small modular nuclear reactor – WVTF

WVTF

Madeleine Bolton inside a building at Colonial Williamsburg. Meet Virginia. Every Virginian has a story—about their life, their heroes, their hometown …

Putin’s Greatest Weapon Remains the ‘Scare Tactic’ – The Cipher Brief

The Cipher Brief

… all the things that make America prosperous, that’s what’s at stake. … It’s all about this excessive fear that Russia might use a nuclear weapon.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Newly Signed Bill Will Boost Nuclear Reactor Deployment in the United States

Department of Energy

ADVANCE Act is latest legislative win to revitalize domestic nuclear power sector in U.S..

Edmonds: Nuclear Energy is Not Clean Energy – Voice of OC

Voice of OC

These subsidies amount to many, many billions of dollars – resulting in huge profits to utilities and private contractors. With nuclear power plants …

Three Mile Island considers nuclear restart as Pa. lawmakers look to new tech to meet demand

StateImpact – NPR

The company that owns one reactor at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg is floating the idea of reopening the shuttered nuclear plant.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

GAEC amps up nation’s nuclear power journey with Japan visit

The Business & Financial Times

The team visited nuclear facilities such as the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant, the JAPC Mihama Nuclear Emergency Assistance Center (M-NEACE), the …

Sirens to sound again today at Duke’s Harris nuclear plant. This time it’s a test. – MSN

MSN

Six sirens were mistakenly sounded on Monday during what was supposed to be a silent test at Duke Energy’s Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant in Wake …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Targets in 90 US cities on nuclear map! Know places under threat. What has … – The Economic Times

The Economic Times

Besides, states of Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, have many places marked as potential targets of nuclear attack …

NATO’s Endgame Appears To Be Nuclear War| Countercurrents

Countercurrents

It is easily imaginable that nuclear war could break out between Russia (and perhaps China) and the West, yet politicians continue to escalate …

NATO’s endgame appears nuclear war – New Age

New Age

NATO’s endgame appears nuclear war … THE world is at its most dangerous moment since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Back then, however, the fear of …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

NATO’s endgame appears nuclear war – New Age

New Age

… threats to do so and recent Russian military drills to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. Given that Russian use of nuclear warheads might well …

Targets in 90 US cities on nuclear map! Know places under threat. What has Russian … – MSN

MSN

… threatened, the specter of nuclear war has been haunting the US. It has … A nuclear blast vaporizes nearby objects and poses distant radiation threats …

The false equivalency of nuclear disarmament and nuclear abolition – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The mainstream nuclear disarmament movement was successful during the Cold War … nuclear threat is so important. The nuclear abolition movement .

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Gunman who was killed by Yellowstone rangers had planned a July 4 mass shooting, park reveals

AOL.com

… Yellowstone region, let alone the park itself. Rangers spent the … A general view of the Sete Cidades Volcano caldera near Ponta Delgada …

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