A California advocacy group took its latest crack Tuesday at persuading the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to order a halt to decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).
The NRC’s Petition Review Board heard Public Watchdogs’ case for approval of a 25-page petition filed in September. The meeting was not a hearing, but was designated solely for the San Diego organization to argue that the board should reverse its decision not to suspend that work. Public Watchdogs wants the suspension so a new federal environmental impact study on decommissioning could be conducted.
On Dec. 8, 2019, the Petition Review Board told Public Watchdogs that it had concluded previous environmental reviews on SONGS were sufficient. The Tuesday session was an opportunity for the group to persuade the PRB to change its mind.
After receiving final approval from state regulators last year, major decommissioning operations at SONGS are beginning in early 2020 under management of an AECOM-EnergySolutions joint venture. The $4.4 billion job is due for completion by 2028.
Much of Public Watchdogs’ petition focused on the continuing transfer of used fuel from cooling into dry storage near the Pacific Ocean on the SONGS property in San Diego County. The operation, managed by Holtec International, has experienced a number of issues – notably an August 2018 mishap in which one canister was left at risk of an 18-foot drop into its storage slot.
Public Watchdogs argued that the federal government cannot rely on SONGS majority owner Southern California Edison’s plans to start moving spent fuel to a permanent repository — the indefinitely stalled Yucca Mountain project — in 2024 and finishing that work in 2049. Tuesday’s session did not address proposed consolidated interim storage sites for spent fuel that are supposed to become active in New Mexico and Texas later this decade.
Other than asking for one clarification, NRC officials did not have any comments or questions on Public Watchdogs’ presentation. Southern California Edison representatives also remained quiet during the hourlong session.
The PRB did not set a time for it to announce its final decision to Public Watchdogs. It is scheduled to hear a similar presentation from Oceansiders Against San Onofre Corruption at 1 p.m. Eastern Time today.
