Media Coverage where Public Watchdogs is quoted Archives - Public Watchdogs: Because the Public has a right to know

Fullerton Observer: Scandals at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station put public at risk

August 9, 2019August 9, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Holtec’s thin-walled canisters are lemons. All of them are exposed salt from the Pacific Ocean at San Onofre that will cause the metal cans to fail quickly. “Stainless steel does not really rust when it is exposed to salt, it cracks open. Our experts say that even a minor scratch in one of these cans can pave the way to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking, and we know that all of the cans have been deeply gouged so far.”

NRC refuses to fine Holtec for violating Federal nuclear safety laws, underscoring its complete failure to protect the public

May 5, 2019May 7, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Holtec had two violations, the NRC said: failure to establish adequate design control measures of components important to safety, and failure to perform evaluations before making changes. A base civil penalty of $36,250 was considered and rejected due to Holtec’s “prompt and comprehensive” corrective actions, which outraged some critics. “The failure by the NRC to fine Holtec for breaking the law shows that it isn’t serious about protecting the public’s safety,” said Charles Langley, executive director of Public Watchdogs, in a statement.

Southern California Edison gets wrist-slap from NRC for nuclear waste safety violations

March 26, 2019April 8, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Owners of the failed SONGS nuclear plant have been fined for violating Federal radiation safety laws. The fine is a wrist-slap which proves the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is incapable of enforcing the laws protecting the public from future nuclear radiation accidents. The failure of the Nuclear regulatory Commission to enforce Federal safety laws, and its history of weakening existing laws portray an NRC that is a victim of regulatory capture, where formerly powerful regulators are required to kow-tow to the whims of mid-level managers at Southern California Edison.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) safety inspection at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station fails to impress critics

March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Public Watchdogs criticizes the NRC for not “putting boots on the ground” in its recent report, and for conducting a sham inspection. Get our letter of protest explaining why it is a sham here. Preliminary NRC report finds a host of ‘deficiencies’ after incident at San Onofre nuclear plant By ROB NIKOLEWSKI OCT 20, 2018 | 11:20 AM | SAN DIEGO – republished under the Fair Use provision of U.S….

Public Watchdogs’ comments on the 8th anniversary of Fukushima.

March 11, 2019April 7, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Nina Babiarz and Charles Langley of Public Watchdogs interview on KUSI news with Lauren Phinney about the eighth anniversary of the Fukushima radiation disaster that displaced 100,000 people in one of the largest evacuations in world history. Could a similar nuclear disaster happen in San Diego at the site of the failed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, where millions of pounds of deadly nuclear waste — …

KUSI Report: Ticking Time Bomb video commercial warns public about radioactive danger at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)

February 26, 2019March 6, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Public Watchdogs’ TV Commercial warns public of radiation danger DATELINE, February 25, 2019: SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A nuclear safety watchdog group has released a new television ad that says the nuclear waste stored near the beach at San Onofre is a disaster waiting to happen. Public Watchdogs based in San Diego has a 15 second TV ad that features shots of the…

Public Watchdogs behind “Ticking Time Bomb” Public Service Announcements – San Diego Union Tribune

February 26, 2019February 28, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Advocacy group buys airtime to oppose San Onofre nuclear waste Jeff McDonald February 25, 2019, 4:55 PM A San Diego advocacy nonprofit began airing new TV commercials Monday to warn about the potential dangers of storing nuclear waste from the San Onofre plant at the beach. The spot opens with traffic zooming along Interstate 5, north of Oceanside, past…

Yucca Mountain is a choice between “Horrible” and “Atrocious”

February 1, 2019February 27, 2019 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

The worst possible place to store nuclear waste is 108 feet from the beach at San Onofre State Beach Park Tom Elias is the only syndicated columnist (28 newspapers) that I know of who actually takes the time to understand and report on complex infrastructure issues such as San Onofre’s nuclear waste, and the possibility of storing the waste at Yucca Mountain. In this story, Will…

Edison’s Mad Plan

December 27, 2018February 4, 2019 Public Watchdogs 2 Comments

On August 3, 2018, a 100,000 pound thin-wall cask filled with deadly irradiated nuclear fuel got caught on a flange while being lowered into the steel-lined concrete vault of the waste storage site, known as an ISFSI (independent spent fuel storage installation). The cask got stuck on a ¼” guide ring for about an hour over an 18-foot drop.

NRC initiates feigned inspection at San Onofre

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Public Watchdogs asks “What are we paying them for?” Nuclear Regulatory Commission begins ‘special inspection’ of San Onofre nuclear station Rob Nikolewski, September 10, 2018 4:55 PM A team of five inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday began what is expected to be a five-day review of how a 45-ton canister loaded with spent nuclear fuel ended up getting suspended 18 feet from the floor…

August Has Been a Cruel Month for San Onofre Nuke Plant

August 29, 2018August 29, 2018 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Public Watchdogs says the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) “spent fuel casks are not thick enough and could crack.” by MICHAEL STEINBERG / Blackrain Press Republished from the OB Rag under the Fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Get the original story here. Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear power industry in the US and abroad, and highlights the efforts of…

Orange County Register: Spent nuclear waste burial halted

August 25, 2018August 28, 2018 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

Spent nuclear waste burial halted at San Onofre until NRC can probe ‘near miss’ with canister. Public Watchdogs “alarmed” that NRC waited more than two weeks to investigate. Vertical Cask Transporter First fuel move Jan. 30-31, 2018 San Onfore (Courtesy of Southern California Edison) This story is reproduced from the Orange County Register under the Fair Use provision of U.S. Copyright law. Get the original story…

San Onofre Settlement Deal “Unimpressive” improvement to “Rape of Ratepayers”

July 29, 2018July 29, 2018 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

CPUC wipes away Peevey/Edison collusion, criminal investigation Ratepayers get minor relief; law firm gets $5.4 million By Don Bauder, July 27, 2018 The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) yesterday (July 26) made an unimpressive adjustment to a rape of the ratepayer that began with a secret meeting between the then-top commissioner, Michael Peevey, and a representative of Southern California Edison in a hotel in Warsaw, Poland. Peevey sketched…

Regulators Okay San Onofre Settlement with modifications

July 29, 2018 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

State regulators approve San Onofre nuclear settlement, trimming $750M from original deal This story is reproduced by Public Watchdogs under the fair use provision of U.S. Copyright law. Please read the original story at the San Diego Union Tribune here. The site of the dry cask storage facility that holds the spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. (Photo by Southern California…

Artists & Activists Create Aerial Photo at Trail 6, South of SONGS

June 8, 2018July 23, 2018 Public Watchdogs Leave a comment

By Eric Heinz, June 7, 2018 Aerial photographer John Quigley and members of the Acjachemen Nation will join together on Saturday, June 9 at Trail 6, just south of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) to take a photo that will depict one of the native people’s symbols, a “star man,” using people to outline the figure, Quigley said. Quigley, who goes by the art…