Representative Mike Levin Meets with NRC Chairman Kristine Svinicki, Highlights Concerns of Local Communities
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) met with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Kristine Svinicki in his Washington office, where he highlighted the need for an NRC inspector to be present during transfers of spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Representative Levin and Chairman Svinicki also discussed the continued need for transparency and accountability between Southern California Edison, Holtec International, and the communities surrounding San Onofre following serious safety incidents at the facility in recent years.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Chairman Svinicki today and express the serious concerns of my constituents surrounding operations at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station,” said Representative Levin. “As I told Chairman Svinicki, it is imperative that the NRC, Southern California Edison, and Holtec International take concrete actions to improve public confidence in operations at the facility. I strongly encouraged Chairman Svinicki to implement an NRC inspector during transfers of spent nuclear fuel, and will continue to push for safety improvements at San Onofre. The best thing we can do is move the spent fuel from our region, and that will continue to be one of my top priorities in Congress.”
Last month, Representative Levin wrote to Svinicki pressing the NRC to review the dismal safety and transparency record at SONGS and reconsider his request for an NRC inspector at the facility, particularly during any future fuel transfer activities. Levin introduced legislation to prioritize the removal of spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned nuclear sites in areas with large populations and high seismic hazard, such as SONGS. He also secured $25 million in pending federal appropriations legislation for a consolidated interim storage (CIS) program at the Department of Energy (DOE) to remove spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plant sites across the country.
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