Why did San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station close?
San Onofre went into operation in 1967 on the shoreline between Los Angeles and San Diego. The plant was shut down in January 2012 after a small radiation leak led to the discovery of extensive damage to hundreds of tubes inside the virtually new steam generators. The plant never produced electricity again.
Is there still nuclear waste in San Onofre?
In August 2020, workers concluded the multi-year burial process, loading the last of 73 canisters of waste into a concrete enclosure. San Onofre is not the only place where waste is left stranded. As more nuclear sites shut down, communities across the country are stuck with the waste left behind.
What county is San Onofre nuclear plant in?
San Diego County
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has joined a coalition headed by Southern California Edison, the operator of the now-shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, to lobby for federal government action to find an avenue to remove 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste from the plant.
Is it safe to swim at San Onofre?
In the case of San Onofre, the “liquid batch releases” go right into the Pacific. Southern California Edison, the plant’s operator, insists the levels are safe for marine life and the humans who swim and surf at San Onofre State Beach.
How many nuclear power plants are in California?
two
California has two operating nuclear power reactors at one plant, three nuclear facilities at various stages of decommissioning, and multiple research reactors that are operational or undergoing decommissioning.
Is there a solution to nuclear waste?
Disposal of low-level waste is straightforward and can be undertaken safely almost anywhere. Storage of used fuel is normally under water for at least five years and then often in dry storage. Deep geological disposal is widely agreed to be the best solution for final disposal of the most radioactive waste produced.