Department of Energy to Provide Update on Transportation Preparations for Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel During Oct. 26 CEP Meeting

ROSEMEAD, Calif., Oct. 20, 2023 — The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy will provide an update to the San Onofre Community Engagement Panel (CEP) on spent fuel transportation preparations Thursday at its quarterly meeting. The virtual meeting will begin at 2 p.m. (PDT) via Microsoft Teams video conference.

Dr. Erica Bickford, head of DOE’s Office of Integrated Waste Management, will be joined by Steve Maheras, of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to discuss the latest developments on the Atlas and Fortis railcar project. The railcar is an integral part of DOE’s plan for its future large-scale transportation of commercial spent nuclear fuel from multiple sites around the country to eventual disposal and/or consolidated storage facilities.

Additionally, the panel will receive updates on efforts to advocate for congressional action on off-site storage and disposal of spent fuel from CEP members and Spent Fuel Solutions coalition co-chairs, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.

Southern California Edison’s decommissioning contractor, San Onofre Decommissioning Solutions (SDS), will discuss the latest on demolition work at the site. With 40 of the 62 buildings demolished, SDS continues to focus on areas inside the containment domes and the fuel handling buildings.

Members of the public can view the meeting video conference by first visiting SONGScommunity.com, where they will find a link to the Microsoft Teams meeting and can register to participate in public comment.

When SCE announced the retirement of San Onofre Units 2 and 3 in June 2013, it established the core principles of safety, stewardship and engagement to guide the decommissioning.

For more information about San Onofre, visit SONGScommunity.com, follow us on Twitter (@SCE_SONGS) and Facebook (@SONGScommunitypage) or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Join the Spent Fuel Solutions coalition by visiting its dedicated website.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.