Culture and Coexistence into the Great Unknown
According to a former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chief, the beach in front of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station could become a permanent nuclear waste dump. Learn why Edison’s program of storing deadly nuclear waste on the beach is not a “temporary” plan. And cartoonist Jerry Collamer weighs in.
San Onofre’s nuclear reactors are permanently shut down. However, Southern California Edison has left tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste that will remain on site for decades, if not longer. San Onofre’s spent fuel contains 89 times the amount of radiation (Cesium-137) released from Chernobyl. What is being done to rectify this situation?
Southern California Edison says its analysis confirms that it would be safe to fire up the nuclear plant’s Unit 2 reactor, but as a precautionary move it is proposing running it at only 70%. Yet it also suggests that running San Onofre at 100 percent for 11 months would present a strong possibility of a tube rupture resulting in a catastrophic release of radiation into the environment.
For darn sure don’t mention that cancerous creaky ol’nuke plant you were so handsomely paid to cheer for. Because talk of radioactivity at home, in the workplace, or at your kid’s school, ruins an otherwise perfect day, no matter what.
Bill McKibben said hurricane-type disasters, like what slammed the East Coast: NYC’s worst since its founding in the 1600’s, should be named for major oil companies flooding the GOP with ginormous super pac contributions hoping to elect Romney and his anti-global warming pals, via Citizens United super pacs.
San Onofre Nuke Plant was designed for a 7.0 earthquake, but sits next to a fault with an 8.0 earthquake probability — 10 times stronger and long overdue.
What’s it going to take to have Edison admit its deadly addiction to nuclear, and mothball SONGS forever, before its thunder domes of molten uranium go over the cliff and 8-million citizens suffer the horrific, eternal consequences?