Flint and Steal: San Onofre is Our Potential Flint-Like Environmental Disaster

 

canister

“Holtec UMAX storage system has air vents. Thin-walled canister (green cylinder) can leak radiation into the environment”

Neighbors from San Clemente are reminding us of a potential contamination catastrophe that would be someone like the widespread lead poisoning of Flint, Michigan —  but on a larger scale.  For us, it would not be lead, but radiation.

They have been concerned about the storage of the closed San Onofre plant’s nuclear waste, objecting the canister storage system favored by Edison. A leakage from nuclear waste storage may expose the population within a close radius to airborne radioactive contamination and ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity. San Clemente Green shared this recent report that confirms the objections and fears presented since the plant was decommissioned:

In a disturbing investigative review by KPBS, it becomes perfectly clear that we have been put at great risk while being ripped off by Southern California Edison (SCE), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Regardless of unquestionable guilt, these three parties are still responsible for a deeply flawed plan on how to handle the remaining nuclear waste at San Onofre.

This radio program will destroy any illusions that we should trust this industry in any way.  It is no exaggeration to say that our lives and livelihoods are in the hands of THIEVES and LIARS!   It is going to be up to ordinary people like you and me to put a stop to a deeply flawed plan to bury the waste here indefinitely. Those we have trusted with our safety have let us down repeatedly. Please share this information with your family, friends, city councils and other public officials who need to be keenly aware of this situation. We’ll keep you posted on any upcoming actions where we’ll need your support!

Just a few highlights from this 25 minute radio show

SCE put us all at risk by installing faulty equipment after being warned many times.

Hundreds of fifty gallon drums holding radioactive materials were buried on site, but their whereabouts remain unknown.

Samples taken to detect radiation on site were diluted by adding uncontaminated soil.

Clandestine meetings were held to stick ratepayers with the cost of SCE’s reckless behavior.

After four years of gathering evidence against all parties involved, legal investigations have been stalled, while these crooks and criminals continue to hold our fate in their hands.

They have issued this follow-up request:

I recently shared with you a disturbing investigative review by KPBS about those responsible for storing nuclear waste at San Onofre, and asked you to distribute it widely.

Now I have one more request suggested by one of our concerned readers, (thank you Patty E.). She forwarded the information to the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, and encouraged us to do the same.

Rachel has recently done an outstanding job of raising awareness about the Flint, Michigan poisoned water story. She could possibly do the same for this issue if she hears from lots of other concerned citizens like you.

EMAIL Rachel@msnbc.com, and/or TWEET her @maddowblog, 

and include this link to my previous posting, http://conta.cc/1WFtEGI

Briefly express your concerns about this grossly under-reported story and encourage her to contact gary@sanclementegreen.org. This is the best thing you could do at this time to help our cause.

Their reaching out to people like Rachel Maddow, who some people have considered a controversial figure in exposing the Flint situation, does not take away the validity of their concern.  Officials at several levels of government and agencies, corporations and political figures have played a role in both Flint and San Onofre.  The necessary discussion of their roles, of the motives and consequences of their actions should not ignore or take priority on helping our neighbors.

About Ricardo Toro

Anaheim resident for several decades. In addition to political blogging, another area of interest is providing habitats for the Monarch butterfly. http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2013/12/caterpillars-crossing-in-a-city-at-a-crossroads/