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RESOLUTION ON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT LICENSE RENEWALS 2005

Whereas, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff stated on July 15, 2003, that it expected ALL nuclear utilities to file license renewal applications in the next few years and the Commission has granted renewals for 30 nuclear plants to date;

Whereas, Southern California Edison (SCE), owner and operator of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) has begun feasibility studies regarding its application for license renewal for an additional 20 years of operation, which could extend its operating life until 2042;

Whereas, SCE was originally permitted to operate SONGS based on site regulations that are no longer valid, and if SCE were filing today for an initial license to operate SONGS, it could not be granted by the NRC under its current standards and regulations;

Whereas, SONGS is located near an active earthquake fault zone recognized by the United States Geological Survey to be capable of generating major earthquakes, and whereas new seismic information is developed after each earthquake;

Whereas, the federal government has recently disclosed that, in addition to long-standing problems of water seepage and ground movement, vital documents for the nation’s only proposed permanent radioactive waste facility were apparently falsified, making it increasingly unlikely that high-level radioactive waste will ever leave the earthquake active coast of California;

Whereas, major components have been onsite and subject to salt water and sea air intrusion for many years, and it is widely known that aging nuclear power plants are more vulnerable to equipment failure;

Whereas, after the events of September 11, 2001, the possibility of more powerful and more precise weapons in the wrong hands must be taken into consideration, and according to a recently disclosed National Academy of Sciences report, SONGS and all nuclear plants with highly radioactive waste are vulnerable targets for acts of terrorism or war;

Whereas, such an attack or a severe accident could render much of the county uninhabitable for generations, causing thousands of casualties and rendering devastating economic consequences;

Whereas, the eventual means of transporting the high level radioactive waste to a permanent location, while as yet undetermined, will likely utilize truck, rail, and/or barge, indisputably adding additional risks to those on the transport route;

Whereas, other cost-competitive and less risky energy options are increasingly available and encouraged in current state directives;

Whereas, renewal of licenses, whether generic or site specific, that are granted decades in advance of the expiration of the existing license makes a mockery of the very purpose of re-licensing procedures;

Therefore be it

Resolved, that the City Council of (_______________) opposes any re-licensing, generic or specific, of SONGS Units 2 & 3 until issues of the above stated concerns are resolved; and be it

Resolved, that the City Council of (_____________) urges the state of California to pass laws that both mandate an objective cost-benefit analysis and support studies of conservation and alternative technologies for generating energy, so that all concerned and involved parties can begin allocating resources to establishing alternatives to the existing nuclear power plants, and be it further

Resolved, that the Clerk of the City Council of (___________) forward the text of this resolution to the California state and federal delegation, all relevant oversight agencies, and Southern California Edison, so that the intent of this Honorable City (_____) be widely known.