Southern California Edison has decided to permanently shutter its Units 2 and 3 San Onofre Nuclear Generating Stations (SONGS) reactors in Southern Cal! Congratulations to all who fought so hard for this great victory! Read the Edison press release.
As reported in certain media coverage, the likelihood that the fatal flaws with its steam generators would end up blocking its U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 20-year license extension rubberstamp contributed to SCE's decision to permanently shutdown both reactors.
NRC immediately canceled imminent meetings re: safety concerns with the defective steam generators, to be held with grassroots anti-nuclear groups near San Onofre, announcing that it would instead move to decommissioning oversight.
"This is very good news for the people of Southern California," said [a] statement from Friends of the Earth president Erich Pica. "We have long said that these reactors are too dangerous to operate and now Edison has agreed. The people of California now have the opportunity to move away from the failed promise of dirty and dangerous nuclear power and replace it with the safe and clean energy provided by the sun and wind."
Pica pointed out that, with so many reactor "retirements" in recent months (Crystal River, FL; Kewaunee, WI; and now San Onofre 2 & 3), NRC stands for Nuclear Retirement Commission.