California’s Nuclear Safeguards Act of 1976 has stood as a crucial line of defense, ensuring no new nuclear reactors are built until a permanent solution for radioactive waste is created. AB 305 threatens to dismantle that safeguard, clearing the way for small modular reactors (SMRs) without resolving the waste crisis we already face. These SMRs are neither truly small nor do we know if they’re safe–as an SMR has never been built. SMR are actually an experimental technology that generates more waste per unit of energy than traditional reactors and operates under relaxed safety protocols that could jeopardize public health and environmental security.
his bill is moving fast, with a key hearing in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on April 21. If passed, it would undermine nearly 50 years of crucial nuclear and safety policy, allowing powerful interests to bypass necessary oversight and bring the burden of unresolved nuclear waste onto future generations. We urge every reader to contact their Assemblymember TODAY–especially those on the Natural Resources Committee–and demand a NO vote on AB 305. Click here for more information on your assembly member.
