Politics & Government

UPDATED: Major Political, Other Leaders React to Nuke Plant's Closure

What major political and environmental leaders are saying about Edison's decision.

State Senator Barbara Boxer, D-California: “I am greatly relieved that the San Onofre nuclear plant will be closed permanently.  This nuclear plant had a defective redesign and could no longer operate as intended.  Modifications to the San Onofre nuclear plant were unsafe and posed a danger to the eight million people living within 50 miles of the plant.  After a leak of radiation from the steam generator tubes, I became increasingly alarmed that Southern California Edison had misled regulators by minimizing the scope of the changes made at the nuclear plant to avoid a full safety review and public hearings.  That is why I have asked the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as the California Public Utility Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to investigate.  I want to thank the community organizations that came forward with information which demonstrated that the plant redesign presented a great risk to the public.  Now that the San Onofre nuclear plant will be permanently shut down, it is essential that this nuclear plant be safely decommissioned and does not become a continuing liability for the community.”

Gov. Jerry Brown: “Since San Onofre nuclear power plant went offline last year, energy utilities and the state have worked to provide Southern California with reliable electric power year round. At my direction, California's top energy experts will continue developing a long-term plan that ensures there is reliability for decades to come. As we move into the hot summer months, we can all do our part by continuing to conserve.”

State Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, D-San Diego: 
“Given the safety concerns and uncertainty surrounding operation of SONGS, I applaud Edison's decision. Ever since the facility shut down, I have advocated for a transparent process that does not saddle ratepayers with the costs of operating a non-functioning plant.  As SONGS winds down its operations, it will be important that safe handling of nuclear material be a priority, that both ratepayers and employees be treated fairly, and that we continue to work to ensure an adequate power supply for Southern California.”

Jessie J. Knight Jr., SDG&E’s chairman and chief executive officer: "The units went offline in early 2012, SDG&E’s primary concern has been continuing to meet our customers’ energy needs as safely and reliably as possible. With the Sunrise Powerlink now in service and with additional contracted resources, barring any unforeseen system emergency, our region should have adequate power supplies for this summer."

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica: "We have long said that these reactors are too dangerous to operate and now Edison has agreed. The people of California now have the opportunity to move away from the failed promise of dirty and dangerous nuclear power and replace it with the safe and clean energy provided by the sun and the wind.”

Glenn Pascall, chair of the San Onofre Task Force of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter: “The credit for this victory should be widely shared.  I believe our campaign activists and supporters correctly sensed that the key point was to prevent a restart based on fast-track approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A full process was not only called for, but could be expected to force Edison's hand - as it has done.”

Jeffrey Steinmetz, parent activist who tried to get the Capistrano Unified School District involved in the debate over SONGS: “While the plant closure is great news I am still very concerned about the tons of nuclear waste still stored on site in a seismic and tsunami zone. … The nuclear waste contained on site is and will remain deadly for centuries. Simply stated the community will not be safe ‘til that nuclear waste has been encased and placed in a long term storage facility.”

Coronado Mayor Casey Tanaka: "I did my undergraduate thesis on Admiral Hyman Rickover and the impact of the development of his nuclear reactors on U.S. naval power, and as a result of this research from my youth, I am a supporter of nuclear power. The U.S. Navy has had nuclear powered submarines since 1954 and the reactor technology used in San Onofre is based on that same reactor technology. The U.S. Navy developed an intensely rigorous training program for its officers and enlisted sailors to make sure that they never caused a nuclear disaster, and I will say that it is truly a shame that the civilian operators of San Onofre have failed to live up to their responsibilities to run San Onofre to this highest standard. Not only have these civilians wrecked this much needed source of electrical power, they have damaged the reputation of nuclear power and perhaps helped to set back the cause of nuclear power in Southern California, the West, and perhaps the nation for years, if not decades. I am disappointed in their failure."

City News Service contributed to this report.


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