During a Congressional Briefing by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation, Dr. Mark Jacobson from Stanford University argued against the use of nuclear energy as a viable solution for addressing climate goals. He stressed that investing in new nuclear technology diverts attention from more effective clean energy solutions.
Despite greenwashing efforts used by the nuclear energy industry, nuclear energy is neither clean nor green. Its radioactive waste is the most deadly substance known to man, with a pollution footprint that lasts for hundreds of thousands of years.
Some believe an answer can be found in nuclear fuel reprocessing, a cumbersome and dirty technology used for isolating plutonium and uranium from spent fuel for reuse. As of 2021 it is known to be widely uneconomical and has a laundry list of associated risks, such as the nuclear energy to weaponry pipeline.
Nationally, nuclear reactors across 34 states produce more than 2,000 metric tons of radioactive waste a year. Due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) delay in providing a long-term storage solution, nearly all of the nuclear power plants in the U.S. have run out of what was originally intended as “short-term storage” space and are turning instead to onsite “dry cask storage”.
When can we expect a solution? Dr. Gregory Jaczko speaks to his time as former chairman of the NRC from 2005 to 2012, noting how the issue of “waste competence” was systematically pushed down the line so as not to interfere with licensing new reactors.
“Nobody acknowledges that we are continuing to make waste and we don't have a solution for it…everyone has their head in the sand.”
Hon. Dr. Gregory Jaczko, physicist & former Chair of the U.S. NRC
As a consequence, our nation’s nuclear waste is piling up at 76 locations, with each reactor site posing risks of accidental damage, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks.
In San Diego County, 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste remain in dry casks stored 100 feet from the ocean near San Onofre State Beach, nearly a decade after the shutdown of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (S.O.N.G.S).
Community concerns regarding the safety of S.O.N.G.S led to its closure in 2013, after a radiation leak made it clear that the nuclear operators could not adequately meet safety requirements. Subsequent investigations brought to light several safety issues which had been overlooked in favor of expediency and costs.
Following the closure of S.O.N.G.S, criticism emerged regarding shortcomings in the dry-cask design. These thin-walled steel canisters fail to provide adequate protection against corrosion and damage and lack provisions for proper monitoring, inspection, repair, or replacement.
Incidents during the decommissioning process highlight the risks associated with dry-cask storage, such as one whistleblower’s account in 2018 detailing a close call in which a canister filled with radioactive waste became wedged during loading and nearly dropped 18ft. Further inspections concluded the accident was a result of "Southern California Edison's deficiencies involving training, equipment, procedures, oversight, and corrective actions” (NRC).