Regular Meeting on Environmental Stewardship

Key Takeaways

The CEP received an update on community organizing efforts around spent fuel from San Diego County Supervisor and Spent Fuel Solutions coalition Co-Chair Jim Desmond. New coalition Co-Chair and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley was among the elected officials welcomed to the CEP following the fall 2022 election cycle. Supervisor Desmond provided a recap on a webinar held the morning of 23 March on international best practices for deep geologic repositories for spent fuel. Panelists represented the Canadian, Finnish, and Swedish spent fuel programs. Here in the US, the Department of Energy increased its funding opportunity to $26 million with awards expected later this spring. Representative Mike Levin has a new co-chair of his Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, Representative Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee.

SONGS Decommissioning Director Vince Bilovsky provided an update on dismantlement work underway at SONGS. The process for cutting up and packaging Greater Than Class C waste is slated for completion in late summer. Bilovsky explained that, more broadly, the current phase of dismantlement is halfway done and on track for completion in late 2028.

Ron Pontes, SONGS Environmental General Manager, reviewed data on recent wastewater releases from the site, including some that exceeded environmental standards. He detailed steps taken to restore compliance. He also provided a refresh on the process used to clean up and release wastewater, all within regulatory limits established by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. SCE provides 48-hour advance notice of releases through the SONGS website.

Pontes also reviewed changes to the footprint around the plant site within SCE’s control, including the “exclusion area boundary” and “controlled area boundary.” Unchanged is the security profile at the plant. Pontes explained that with all spent fuel at SONGS in passive dry cask storage, the number of “emergency action levels” are down from 82 to three, with zero that result in radiological material leaving the site boundary.

Shareables

• Watch recordings of SFS coalition webinars on various topics related to offsite storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel.
• Learn more about upcoming public workshops hosted by the UC Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute to review the status of the Wheeler North Reef Mitigation Project and the San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration Project.
• Visit the SONGS community engagement page to stay up to date on the CEP, sign up for public walking tours, and request a speaker for your next civic group meeting.
• Review reports on the environmental compliance history for SONGS.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 213-297-0156,,19092642# United States, Los Angeles

Phone Conference ID: 456 532 006#

Find a local number | Reset PIN

Meetings MAY be recorded only if the presenter enables the recording feature AND initiates recording. If the meeting is being recorded, you will be warned and you may either consent to recording by staying on the call or hang up and contact meeting host.

Learn More | Help | Meeting options | Legal

To submit questions/comments in advance of a CEP meeting use the email address provided: nuccomm@songs.sce.com

• Comments submitted in advance of the meeting and related to agenda topics will be—to the greatest extent possible—addressed in the presentation and/or discussed during facilitated public dialogue
• Comments must be received 2 days prior to the meeting date to be addressed during the meeting or a response will be sent via e-mail following the meeting
• NUCCOMM comments related to agenda topics will be addressed first followed by comments during the public comment period.

To submit questions/comments during a CEP meeting:

Use the link provided: CEP Comment Form (if attending virtually)

• Use the hardcopy CEP Question/Comment Cards available at the facility registration table near the entrance
• Comments will be added to the queue in order of receipt
• Comments related to the meeting agenda topics—to the greatest extent possible—will be addressed / discussed during facilitated public dialogue
• Dan Stetson and Marth McNicholas will facilitate

To sign up to speak:

• Complete the CEP Comment Form (if attending virtually)
• Sign up at the registration table at the entrance of the meeting venue
• The Chairman will call on individuals by name one at a time to speak
  • the Microsoft Teams microphone will be opened for each individual (if attending virtually)
  • each individual may speak at the microphone provided on the lectern at the facility

Each speaker will have three minutes to ask a question or deliver a comment.