Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — the only agency allowed under U.S. law to regulate the safety of deadly nuclear waste — denied the public access to its evaluation of what it calls a “near-miss” at SONGS,  the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on August 3.

On Monday, September 10, 2018,  NRC staff will conduct an alleged “inspection” of the SONGS nuclear facility. The inspection was prompted  after workers at the failed nuclear reactor nearly dropped a  105,000 pound can of nuclear waste almost 18 feet (Get a copy of the NRC inspection charter here).

The non-profit group Public Watchdogs is concerned that an 18 foot drop — or even a drop of a few inches —  could  have precipitated a regional nuclear disaster requiring the  evacuation of nearby communities.

“The public was not informed of this near-miss nuclear disaster,” says Nina Babiarz, a public advocate at Public Watchdogs.  “We believe the public has a right to know

when the public’s safety is put at risk. Southern California Edison waited several days before it reported the event to the NRC. The NRC has waited more than a month to

put boots on the ground. The alarming secrecy of the NRC and its slow response is troubling. We are deeply disturbed that it took more than a month for the NRC to put boots on the ground. What are we paying them for?” says Babiarz.

In a letter sent Friday afternoon to the NRC’s Region IV Deputy  Director, Public Watchdogs expressed concern that the NRC is  improperly allowing Edison to take full control over the NRC  inspection.

A copy of the letter is available on the Public Watchdogs website.

According to Public Watchdogs executive director, Charles Langley, “We want to be assured that the NRC, not Edison, is in control of this investigation. Right now it appears that Southern California Edison is directing and controlling the NRC’s activities and inspections.”

Southern California Edison kept the cask drop a secret until an internal safety inspector at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station made the incident public at a meeting of Edisons public relations organ, the “SONGS Community Engagement Panel.”  Get a video copy of the complete meeting here.

Get video of the San Onofre Safety Inspector calling Edison to account here.

RELATED STORIES:

See Public Watchdogs story:  Whistle blower describes near-miss nuclear accident at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)

See also,  Orange County Register: Spent nuclear waste burial halted  and  August Has Been a Cruel Month for San Onofre Nuke Plant.

Charles Langley, Executive Director