County joins SONGS spent fuel removal coalition

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The County of San Diego has joined the Action for Spent Fuel Solutions Now coalition which seeks to remove the spent fuel from the former San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

A 5-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote Aug. 17 adopted a resolution authorizing the County of San Diego to join the coalition. The vote also authorized the director of the county's Department of Purchasing and Contracting to enter into negotiations with the coalition for a contract to secure a federally-licensed storage or disposal solution for the spent nuclear fuel and to award a contract contingent upon successful negotiations and determination of a fair and reasonable price.

"I feel it's imperative that we, San Diego County, participate in the efforts to find a long-term solution," said Supervisor Jim Desmond, whose district includes San Onofre.

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station began operation in 1968. By April 1987, San Onofre was producing 17.4 terawatts of electricity. San Onofre ceased producing power in 2013, and Southern California Edison plans to complete the dismantling of SONGS by 2028. Although no nuclear power is being generated, 123 canisters which contain a total of 1,400 tons of spent fuel are on the site.

Southern California Edison was the primary owner of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and San Diego Gas & Electric also had a partial ownership. SCE and SDG&E are on the executive board of Action for Spent Fuel Solutions Now, and local governments have also been invited to join the coalition. The County of Orange is already a member.

The coalition was formed to encourage federal leaders to pursue legislation, funding, and consent-based siting for the spent fuel storage and disposal facilities. (The $1 per megawatt-hour charge on electric bills for the eventual disposal of spent nuclear fuel has generated $44 billion, but no repository has been established.)

The executive board consisting of the utilities and the local governments will be making the decisions, but the coalition seeks to add other entities such as business, environmental, labor, and community organizations.

"It's now time to fully restore this land back to its original state," Desmond said. "It can be fully restored and returned back to the Navy."

(SONGS is on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.)

"I think it's a great opportunity for us to join hands with others across the region," said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer.

"I appreciate this effort. I think this is a good thing we can do at the county," said Board of Supervisors chair Nathan Fletcher.