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NewsTimes of San DiegoAugust 17, 2026San Diego

Congressmen and experts to convene symposium on long-term nuclear waste storage at San Onofre

Two congressmen will host an all-day symposium on Thursday at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to discuss the long-term management of 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel remaining at the San Onofre site. The event addresses the lack of a permanent federal repository for commercial nuclear waste, which forces the fuel to remain in dry storage at the site for the foreseeable future.

nuclear energywaste managementenvironmental safetySan Onofre
Read the full story at Times of San Diego

Why It Matters

The event highlights the ongoing challenge of managing millions of pounds of radioactive waste stored at the San Onofre site, which will remain there indefinitely due to the absence of a national permanent disposal facility.

Key Facts

  • The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station currently holds 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel.
  • Most of the former power plant is scheduled for demolition by 2028.
  • Spent fuel is stored in steel canisters housed underground in reinforced concrete, known as dry storage.
  • The United States currently lacks a permanent repository for commercial spent nuclear fuel.
  • In 2018, a canister became misaligned during storage, creating a 'near-miss' drop event of 18 feet.
  • The symposium will take place Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Scripps Seaside Forum.
  • All spent fuel was transferred to dry storage by 2020 after cooling underwater for at least five years.

Who's Mentioned

personGreg Jaczko“Former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair”personJames Day“Scripps oceanographer”personMark Jacobson“Stanford energy researcher”other3.6 million“Pounds of spent nuclear fuel at the site”other18“Feet of potential drop distance in 2018 incident”organizationSamuel Lawrence Foundation“Event host”locationSan Onofre Nuclear Generating Station“Former power plant site currently storing nuclear waste”personScott Peters“U.S. Congressman and event speaker”locationScripps Institution of Oceanography“Host location for the symposium”personMike Levin“U.S. Congressman and event speaker”