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Recording of May 8, 2020 NRC Teleconference on COVID-19 infections at Nuclear Power Plants

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Today at 6:00 am California time, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) convened a teleconference/webinar on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nuclear facilities in the United States.  During the teleconference, NRC representatives stated that they do not know what the rate of infection is at America’s 104 operating and decommissioning nuclear reactors.  The conference lasted one hour and was recorded for publication by Public Watchdogs….

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Public advocates request a complete halt of nuclear waste burials on the beach at SONGS during COVID19 crisis

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Update, March 26, 2020 – Southern California Edison’s response to County Supervisor Desmond Two days ago, Public Watchdogs sent San Diego County Supervisor, Jim Desmond, a letter requesting a halt to the ongoing movement of deadly nuclear waste at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Mr. Desmond, is a volunteer member of  the SONGS Community Engagement Panel.  Today’s public meeting of the Community Engagement Panel …

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District Attorney Summer Stephan is calling out price gougers during COVID19 scare

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Did you know that price-gouging during an emergency is a crime? Today, San Diego district attorney, Summer Stephan, announced that price gouging during the COVID19 outbreak will not be tolerated. California’s tough anti-price gouging  statute, Penal Code Section 396, makes raising the price of many consumer goods and services by more than 10% during an emergency unlawful. Get the California Attorney General’s Price Gouging FAQ here….

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Downloading and handling of deadly  spent nuclear fuel will continue at  SONGS during COVID-19 outbreak

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NRC allows nuclear facilities to self-regulate Today at a  Nuclear Regulatory  Commission (NRC teleconference on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nuclear safety, Donna Gilmore of San Onofre Safety  ( https://sanonofresafety.org/ ) asked the NRC if it required testing of nuclear workers for the COVID-19 virus at the failed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The NRC spokesperson replied that the NRC does not require virus…

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Public Watchdogs 2.206 Petition for Enforcement Action against SONGS, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station at Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Public Watchdogs seeks Enforcement Action against Southern California Edison: Yesterday, January 21, 2020, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) convened a public meeting via teleconference to evaluate Public Watchdogs‘ Supplemental 2.206 Petition seeking enforcement action against Southern California Edison, the owners of the failed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) “ISFSI.”  You can get our unofficial transcript of the proceedings here. A 2.206 Petition is a legal…

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Edison fights Public Watchdogs efforts to cut funding to San Onofre Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund

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On Christmas Eve, 2019, the California Public Utilities Commission formally refused to approve a $400 million-plus funding request from Southern California Edison, the owners of the failed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The Commission action will delay SONGS funding for at least 120 days, and was issued on the same day that Public Watchdogs filed a form Advice Letter protest with the Commission. “It is our hope that the Public Utilities Commission will review SCE’s profligate spending requests in full and open public hearings,” said Charles Langley, the Public Watchdogs executive director. “The public has a right to know how the public’s money is being spent.”

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LA Times slams beachfront nuclear waste dump as a disaster waiting to happen

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Opinion: California’s San Onofre nuclear plant is a Chernobyl waiting to happen The San Onofre nuclear plant was permanently shut down in 2013 after a radioactive leak was discovered in a new steam generator. Humans will need to manage the plant’s nuclear waste for thousands of years.  (Los Angeles Times)     By Kate Brown Nov. 19, 2019, 9:59 AM – Nuclear accidents often aren’t surprises. Whistleblowers had…

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Public Watchdogs urges California Coastal Commission to delay approval of SONGS demolition.

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Today, Public Watchdogs filed documents urging the California Coastal Commission to postpone the approval of Southern California Edison’s plan to demolish the spent fuel pools and other structures at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).  Get the letter here. Get details for attending the meeting here. Public Watchdogs argues that the vote is premature due to pending litigation, that “special conditions” imposed by Coastal Commission…

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Public Watchdogs files 2.206 petition with NRC to halt unsafe storage of spent nuclear fuel at SONGS.

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September 24, 2019 — Today, the nonprofit advocacy group Public Watchdogs announced that it has filed a 2.206 petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requesting an immediate halt to the ongoing transfer and storage of deadly nuclear waste at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).   The public has the right to ask the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to take enforcement action through Title 10…

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Public Watchdogs files lawsuit to halt burial of nuclear waste

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The nonprofit consumer group Public Watchdogs has filed a lawsuit to halt the transport of nuclear waste into steel-lined silos on the beach at San Onofre State Beach Park. Public Watchdogs is the only advocacy group engaged in litigation against the beachfront San Onofre Nuclear Waste Dump owned and operated by Southern California Edison. Public Watchdogs has retained the services of former Department of Justice prosecutor, Chuck La Bella to coordinate a disciplined team of attorneys and subject matter experts in opposition to the project.

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission has no “Plan B” for a canister failure at San Onofre

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Dateline August 8, 2018 — During today’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Webinar, (get the Public Watchdogs Video Capture Here) a top NRC  official admitted that the beachfront San Onofre Nuclear Waste Dump, which is owned and operated by Southern California Edison, has no backup plan for repairing or safely storing a damaged nuclear waste container. During the public  question-and-answer segment of the Webinar, Donna Gilmore, a…

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