A California congressman who has been a vocal proponent of a federal nuclear waste solution took some credit this week for the Department of Energy’s recently-unveiled interim storage funding opportunity, according to a press release.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), who counts San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) among his constituents in California’s 49th congressional district, “helped secure” the roughly $16 million in funding for prospective interim storage host communities which DOE announced Tuesday, the press release said.
“One of my top priorities since my first day in office has been moving the nuclear waste at San Onofre away from the region as quickly and safely as possible,” Levin said in a statement. “I am glad to see the Department of Energy taking another important step in the process of establishing a consent-based site for the storage of spent nuclear fuel currently at San Onofre.”
The 123 canisters of spent nuclear fuel currently stored at SONGS has motivated Levin to take charge of nuclear waste issues in Congress in recent months. The congressman in July 2021 formed the bipartisan Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus alongside Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), and has introduced legislation that, if made law, would make San Onofre one of the first sites to ship its waste away to a future repository.
SONGS operator Southern California Edison is currently decommissioning the Pendleton, Calif., plant, located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego along the California coast.
Levin’s statement comes less than two months before November’s midterm elections, during which the incumbent congressman will defend his seat against Republican Brian Maryott. Levin successfully defeated Maryott in 2020 with around 53% of the vote.
DOE’s is accepting applications until Dec. 19 on the funding opportunity, which is part of the Joe Biden administration’s ongoing effort to site a federal interim storage facility for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel inventory. According to the agency, the $16 million award is aimed at increasing community engagement with the interim storage siting process.
