Southern California Utility Says It Will Close Troubled San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant

[itsrobert]

Source: Associated Press

Southern California utility says it will close troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/southern-california-utility-close-troubled-san-onofre-nuclear-19347116#.UbHkmECnPIU

[madokie]

1. Thats good news

ETA: I'm not sure I believe that 10s of thousands may be out of a job part though.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. The plant does not have that many

They are going over secondary jobs affected by the people directly losing jobs. Like you I don't buy it. 5K possible, tens of thousands, not really.

[bananas]

12. This is GREAT news! They're shutting BOTH reactors!

There are two reactors there - they're shutting both of them permanently.

[SunSeeker]

26. And how many jobs will be ADDED as a result of increased beach use once this monstrosity is gone?

This concrete hellscape destroyed half of one of the best surfing beaches in the world--and was a constant creepy eyesore to the half that was still accessible. They should turn the site into a public recreation area. That will create lots of jobs and increase tourism for all of Southern California. I can't wait for those concrete tits to be gone.

[Brother Buzz]

30. I don't think that concrete monstrosity is going anywhere in our lifetime

Get used to that rusty cyclone fence enclosing that toxic eyesore.

[Brickbat]

38. While I understand the sentiment, the offering the "comfort" of tourist jobs to replace

high-skilled engineering or manufacturing jobs is kind of a kick in the teeth. It's a common argument from environmentalists, and it sounds ignorant.

[SunSeeker]

39. How many jobs would be lost if that leaky reactor contaminated So. Cal.?

Of course those nuclear engineers will lose their jobs, but maybe they could retrain for other fields. I think nuclear power jobs were slowly going extinct long before this. There's a lot of solar installation going on in So. Cal., and we're building a bullet train. Tesla is doing quite well also. And Silicon Valley is hiring.

[wordpix]

43. no, what's ignorant is support for deadly, dirty, expensive nuke power with no waste repository

that anyone wants anywhere near.

If the nuke industry is so wonderful, why do they want taxpayer guaranteed loans in the tens or hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars? Oh, yeah, I almost forgot---they plan to reap huge private profits if it all works out and stick US taxpayers with the billions in unpaid loans if it doesn't.

Read up, my friend.

[wiggs]

2. That's AMAZING!!!! Not only is it great news for those living in Southern California who

know well the lessons of Fukushima, it's great news for those of us who battle in any arena where the welfare and interests of the 98% are pitted against big money and big politics.

This is a very, very rare and hard fought victory. We owe thanks to those who went to hearings and meetings every week for the last two years...who protested...who stood vigil and fasted...who wrote letters...who became knowledgeable enough in technical and procedural aspects of nuclear power to challenge false statements of authorities and their 'experts.' THANK YOU!

If true, this is a David and Goliath victory that could echo throughout our top-down system. Billions of dollars were on the line and it took years even though this plant has the worst safety record in the US...has had several failure events while in operation...is very similar to Fukushima in terms of vulnerability during earthquakes and tsunami...is at the very end of its design lifetime....and could directly threaten tens of millions.

I'm stunned.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. I will name but a few names

Martha Sullivan, carol Jankwow, occupy Encinitas, Ray Lutz

[wiggs]

40. San Clemente Green, Gary Headrick, Friends of the Earth. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. I knew I missed a few

Occupy vista also deserves to be in list

[hunter]

3. Woohoo! Now we develop more Hotels and MacMansions!

There are worse ecological nightmares than nuclear power, San Diego property "development," fossil fuel power plants, and fossil fueled water desalinization being a few of those things...

This is an inglorious end to a plant that was always troubled.

Now that it's dead, the political fighting isn't going to go away, it's only going to become more intense.

Many unpleasant scavengers will be fighting over this corpse, creatures that make hyenas and vultures look like gentle house pets in comparison.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. As if there was a time when that region was not building resorts and luxury homes.

Now you can do that? Previously, with nuke power, there was scant development in the area? Are you joking? That has been the bread and butter for the SoCal coast since before I was born. No one was waiting to decommission the plant to make heinous housing at high prices.
The land San Onofre sits on is owned by the US Government, it is leased by Edison from Camp Pendelton Marine Corps base. They will retain ownership. This is a fortunate fact for CA.
You are correct that real estate developers are about the same as those who deal crack in schools, but the Marines are rather protective of their holdings.

[hunter]

13. With the plant shut down permanently...

... properties in nearby communities become more valuable. People with the big money won't have those post Fukushima concerns on their minds any more.

Of course when the oceans rise, the Colorado River dams go stagnant, and the shale gas bubble bursts, these communities are going to become unpleasant. But no worries, the television and money machines say climate change isn't real and America's "clean burning natural" gas supplies are abundant.

[bananas]

14. Yeah - now we have to stop that damn toll road!

Save Trestles June 19th San Diego

Trestles and San Onofre need your help on June 19th to persuade the Regional Water Quality Control Board to deny the TCA’s permit to build the first “segment” of their ill-fated toll road. In 2008, surfers and activists organized the largest turn-out for a public hearing in State history—and when the Coastal Commission saw 3,500 people in the audience, they were persuaded to deny the plan. We need to do that again! This time, we need hundreds of people to attend the Board meeting on June 19th so we can shut down this road once more.

<snip>

Read the rest: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10403602

[hunter]

16. Yes, absolutely.

If I was emperor, I'd be cutting all highways back to two lanes either direction, I'd be removing some highways entirely, and I'd be building electric rail powered by solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources.

[XemaSab]

15. Turkey vultures are gentle

[hunter]

19. Turkey vultures are some of my favorite birds. We have a mess of them around here.

We live on top of a small ridge that causes an updraft they use as an elevator. I've seen them playing like puppies in fields.

Along with the hyenas I was thinking of the raptorial old world vultures in this post.

[xxqqqzme]

22. Well the Coastal Commission

hearing on the poseiden desal scam in to be located in Huntington Beach, was to be next week. It has been moved to October.

Lobbying the Coastal Commission has usually been a plus for activists. I wouldn't paint a bleak picture just yet.

[itsrobert]

4. I guess I will have to consider solar on my roof

Rates might be going up now.

I wonder, if that land could be used for anything else? Probably an environmental nightmare.

[SunSeeker]

29. The land could be used as a aquatic park/recreation area.

It sits on one of the best surfing beaches in the world. And that would boost tourism and create jobs.

[wordpix]

44. Better check the water quality and soil/sand for radioactive contamination first

And how many spent fuel rods need to be moved out of there? And where will they be put? And just HOW will these plants be "decommissioned?" And where will the "decommissioned" radioactive components go?

This is the most goddamned industry on the planet, rivaling the worst of the war machines.

[Brother Buzz]

45. Once it's cleaned a bit, I suspect the Marines may want their land back

San Onofre Nuclear Generating station (SONGS) sits on land leased from the U.S. Marine Corps Camp Pendleton. I wonder if SONGS will just walk away and forfeit their 'cleaning deposit'.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. San Onofre at the peak employed about 1500 people. Tens of thousads of jobs?

400 jobs still there as of the closing. 400. Oregon closed it's only nuclear plant in the 90's. Decommissioning cost as much as building the thing, took years and employed way more than 400 people. A huge task is ahead of them.
This is very good news.

[oldandhappy]

6. Wheeee! Good news.

I live in the neighborhood and am delighted with this news. We were sold a bad bill of goods on this plant. Cost more to build, had to be replaced much sooner than we were told, now wanted to replace again still within the time of the first installation -- massively expensive and now more money to decommission. But at least it will be down and not a problem in the event of an earthquake. Good news. Problems I am sure, but good news.

[tofuandbeer]

8. I can't believe this!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Here is SONGS statement

https://scripps-cms.endplay.com/documents/10933/0/SCE+statement+on+San+Onofre/24329b7c-f122-4ade-980d-07c65e2602a4

[bananas]

17. Barbara Boxer is on channel 5 news via telephone

She's speaking very harshly about the way they deceived the NRC etc.
She wants to continue the investigation.
This is a very good interview.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Good for her

We need a few others decom as well

[bananas]

20. Is there really free beer at the fair this weekend?

After the Boxer interview, they had reporter Heather Ford at the Del Mar Fair preperations,
previewing a new "Bacon Fest", I rewound it to make sure I heard it right,
she said they're having free bacon and beer this weekend,
all you can eat and drink.

It started with her talking about bacon flavored cotton candy,
"This is wrong! This is so wrong! This is bacon flavored cotton candy!"

Blecch!

But then she says they're having free beer and bacon this weekend.

Sorry to be off-topic, but this is free beer we're talking about!

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. I was not listening

Did not realize you meant my local (our local) sd station

[bananas]

24. I looked on their website but couldn't find the Boxer or beer videos.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2013/06/07/san-onofre-nuclear-power-plant-to-shut-down/#axzz2VYDx6Gi1

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. You will rarely catch me defending fox

Our local station is actually sort of a jewel for local news.

[El Supremo]

23. Yea! One less thing for me to worry about when I move there.

Gotta get me some solar panels.

[SunSeeker]

27. Best news I heard all year!

[Sunlei]

28. this is good news for majority of Ca. posters and sure will be nice for the area & the world :)

one down couple more thousand to go

[stuffmatters]

31. Best News Ever

It was an unimaginable catastrophe waiting to happen.

[JDPriestly]

32. Whew! Finally.

It is severely threatened by climate change if nothing else. If the sea rises just a little, that place is flooded, and we have a catastrophe.

If you want to see it, all you have to do is take the train from Los Angeles to San Diego. You see it on the right. It is between the train tracks and the beach. So it war built much too close to the Pacific Ocean to be safe should the water rise.

This is going to cause energy prices to rise in Southern California. Would have been nice if they had built it somewhere really far from the ocean. But we don't have much water in S. California, and as I understand it, a nuclear energy plant needs to be near water.

Nuclear energy is too expensive. We need to learn to do without it.

[Brother Buzz]

34. A tsunami was the real threat to San Onofre. That, and the wicked mother-of-all earthquakes

The sea would have to rise thirty feet to flood that place. Thirty feet.

[dixiegrrrrl]

36. "If the sea rises just a little, that place is flooded, "

Closing it is one thing, and I deeply applaud this unusual show of common sense.
But decommissioning it altogether is another, so any rise in water level would still be a problem?

[roamer65]

33. 1 left...Diablo Canyon.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

37. Two left, adding Pilgrim

Plus about 100 more!

[B Stieg]

35. Bye Bye Dolly!

[wiggs]

41. Wonder what's going to happen with all the onsite stored nuclear waste? Like Fukushima, stored

waste is a significant problem too.

How many hundreds or thousands of years will the waste and remnant radioactivity keep the facility off-limits. How much money will have to be spent to keep the storage element protected and monitored?