SLF President hits the stage at La Paloma Theater.
Ryan Gibson
SLF President Bart Ziegler addresses a crowd after a screening of "SOS: San Onofre Syndrome" at the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas, California, on October 5th, 2025.
The Samuel Lawrence Foundation screened the 2023 film "SOS: San Onofre Syndrome" for a crowd of concerned citizens at the La Paloma Theater on October 5, 2025. The film was made by James Heddle, Mary Beth Brangan, and Morgan Peterson, and it covers the various events that have led to the current state of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).
The Samuel Lawrence Foundation (SLF) hosted a screening of "SOS: San Onofre Syndrome" at the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas, California, on October 5th, 2025, to kick off San Diego Climate Week. Before the screening began, Program Director Nadia Khawja and Program Manager Morgan St. Onge introduced the Samuel Lawrence Foundation, its mission, and its upcoming Paddle-Out event in San Clemente on October 11th. SLF's mission statement is as follows:
The Samuel Lawrence Foundation advocates for public safety and environmental stewardship at San Onofre and beyond, while fostering meaningful human connection through expanded access to science, education, and the arts.
In hosting this screening, SLF is bringing that spirit to San Diego Climate Week.
St. Onge Emphasizes Community Action
Ryan Gibson
Program Manager Morgan St. Onge emphasizes the importance of community action and engagement in pursuing a permanent solution to nuclear waste.
According to Program Manager Morgan St. Onge, the screening "inspired curiosity and, most importantly, hope, in regards [sic] to the nuclear waste crisis facing San Diego County." The SLF-hosted event advanced the nonprofit's mission of advocating for environmental stewardship within the San Diego community. In this case, environmental stewardship refers to community members taking an interest in, and ownership of, the spent-fuel issue at the inactive San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), where a total of 123 spent fuel rod canisters currently sit idle.
The spent fuel rods at SONGs weigh 3.6 million pounds. There are massive risks associated with moving that much nuclear waste, even at a distance of ten feet. The task of removing nuclear material from a site, transporting that material, and then safely securing it somewhere else for permanent storage is not so simple. The roadblocks are not going away, but that doesn't mean equitable solutions don't exist. SLF is here not only to inform the public but also to fuel the conversation around the safe, ethical, and permanent removal of these spent fuel rod canisters that currently sit idle at SONGS.
