A measure introduced in the California State Senate calls on the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump to approve federal legislation that would prioritize removal of used fuel from power plants in the state.
Senate Joint Resolution 11 was introduced on Aug. 12 by state Sens. Patricia Bates (R) and Bill Monning (D). It was referred to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications.
If passed, the resolution would have the California State Legislature call on the U.S. Department of Energy to “implement the prompt and safe relocation of spent nuclear fuel” from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in San Diego County and the Diablo Canyon power plant in San Luis Obispo County.
More specifically, it also seeks passage of Rep. Mike Levin’s (D-Calif.) Spent Fuel Prioritization Act of 2019, filed in May and sent to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The Levin bill would amend the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act to direct the secretary of energy to prioritize removal of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants that are decommissioned or undergoing decommissioning; located in the areas with the highest populations; and located in the areas at greatest risk of earthquakes. Those apply to California’s nuclear plants, particularly the San Onofre facility.
Levin’s congressional district covers SONGS, which was permanently retired in 2013 and should soon begin the decommissioning process. The two-reactor Diablo Canyon is scheduled for closure by 2025.
“California has waited for years for the federal government to do its job and help move the state’s nuclear waste away from densely populated and environmentally sensitive areas,” Bates said in a prepared statement. “The Legislature must add its voice for action.”
