Nuclear Waste: Here or Elsewhere?
Nuclear Experts Meet to Discuss Dilemma of Storing Radioactive Waste
By: Roger Johnson
When the San Onofre nuclear power plant was built, everyone was told that there was a plan to remove the radioactive waste it produced. Now it is closed, but the new plan is to leave it here indefinitely. This is an alarming turn of events for everyone who lives within 50 miles of San Onofre. The inability of government and the nuclear industry to figure out a solution has led to a lot of talk but very little action. Locally, about 2,000 tons of highly radioactive uranium and plutonium rest above ground a few hundred feet from the ocean on one side and I-5 on the other. Since there is no plan to dispose of it, this highly toxic waste will remain in our backyard for many decades (or centuries) to come.
To address this threat, a large crowd filled the San Juan Capistrano Community Center on Jan. 27 to hear a 3 hour panel discussion called “America’s Nuclear Future: Taking Action to Address Nuclear Waste.” This was a joint meeting of Edison’s Community Engagement Panel and the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington D.C. think tank. The panel focused on what local, state, and regional stakeholders can do stimulate progress on this issue which has plagued the nation for half a century. Addressing the audience were 21 panelists ranging from nuclear experts to concerned citizens. Continue reading
