2021-119 Support Decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear generating station I
RESOLUTION 2021-119
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ENCINITAS TO
SUPPORT THE SAFE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR
GENERATING STATION (SONGS)
WHEREAS,the City of Encinitas is located within a 50-mile radius of the retired San Onofre Nuclear
Generating Station (SONGS); and
WHEREAS, residents of the City of Encinitas are among the 8.5 million people living within a 50-mile
emergency evacuation zone as defined by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and
WHEREAS, at San Onofre,3.6 million pounds of high-level radioactive waste is stored on-site, 108 feet
from the ocean in waste canisters; and
WHEREAS,the radioactive waste canisters in use may be subject to gouging, leading to corrosion,
cracking and the possible release of radiation into the environment; and
WHEREAS,the storage period is indefinite; and
WHEREAS,the storage location is vulnerable to climate change, including wildfire, coastal erosion,
landslide, seismic activity,tsunami and sea-level rise; and
WHEREAS,there is considerable dispute among experts about the suitability of the utility's repair
method-or storage canister replacement procedure, and that the utility is scheduled to deconstruct the
last remaining handling facility—the spent fuel pools;and
WHEREAS, current utility radiation monitoring is not sensitive enough to warn of canister damage and
UCSD researchers proved a better method which gives advanced warning of canister breach; and
WHEREAS, a breach of San Onofre's nuclear storage facilities could disable the busiest transportation
corridor on the West Coast(Interstate 5), destroy real estate, cripple military readiness at Marine Corps
Base Camp Pendleton and prompt damages which, according to economic modeling, could exceed $13.4
trillion over 50 years; and
WHEREAS, radiation exposure poses potentially lethal health effects to life on Earth;
NOW,THEREFORE,the City Council of the City of Encinitas hereby does resolve as follows:
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1) To support the real-time radiation air monitoring of nuclear waste canisters at San Onofre;
2) To support local and regional efforts to hold the utility accountable to develop scientifically
validated canister repair and replacement procedures;
3) Advocate for a formal determination by responsible parties on the need to construct a dry transfer
facility for storage canister repair and replacement, in the event of damage or malfeasance;
4) An evaluation by responsible parties of a plan for moving the nuclear waste inland.and to higher
ground such as"The Mesa," a site east of Interstate 5 used by the utility,especially if the storage
canister repair and replacement procedures in their current location are found inadequate; and
5) Support of Congressional efforts to open a consent-based, permanent national repository for the
disposal of the nation's nuclear waste,which may include participation in the coalition,Action for
Spent Fuel Solutions Now.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 15th day of December, 2021 by the City Council of the City of
Encinitas,State of California.
Catherine S. Blakespear, Mayor
,ATTEST:
Kathy Hollywood, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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Leslie E. Devaney, City Att rney
CERTIFICATION: I, Kathy Hollywood, City Clerk of the City of Encinitas, California,do hereby certify under
penalty of perjury that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council
on the 15th day of December, 2021 by the following vote:
AYES: Blakespear, Hinze, Kranz, Lyndes, Mosca
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Kathy Hollywood, City Clerk