Gaps in Nuclear Emergency Preparedness
Diane Edmonds
After San Onofre’s shutdown, oversight shifted to local agencies. Experts warn regulatory gaps leave millions at risk from nuclear waste on the coast.
The decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in 2015 transferred emergency responsibility from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Southern California Edison and local agencies. While intended to streamline management, this shift has created a complex web of regulatory gaps that experts say leaves millions of residents at risk.
San Diego County follows the National Response Framework’s “All Hazards” approach, which prioritizes common disasters like fires and floods. Nuclear-specific annexes were removed from public emergency plans, and officials defer responsibility to the California Department of Public Health’s Radiological Health Branch. Yet public information is scarce, training is limited, and most first responders have only general hazard preparation. Interviews with police, school administrators, and hospital staff reveal that radiological protocols are largely unknown or untested.
Rising Seas, Weak Defenses
Gary Headrick
King tides erode San Onofre’s seawall, threatening stored nuclear waste. With limited emergency planning, coastal communities face growing risks.
Rising Seas, Weak Defenses
Gary Headrick
King tides erode San Onofre’s seawall, threatening stored nuclear waste. With limited emergency planning, coastal communities face growing risks.
This regulatory ambiguity is compounded by private ownership. Edison oversees monitoring, notifications, and response at the site, but details about container safety, radiation levels, or emergency drills are not publicly accessible. Residents, businesses, and institutions within potential impact zones have little guidance beyond vague shelter-in-place instructions. Evacuation logistics are unclear, especially if freeways are blocked or multiple disasters occur simultaneously.
Experts warn that this lack of clarity could have catastrophic consequences. Radiation exposure spreads invisibly, and delays or confusion in emergency response could affect millions of people. The regulatory framework assumes that private and public entities will coordinate seamlessly, but interviews and public records suggest this is far from reality.
Unprepared for the Unthinkable
Envato
First responders lack nuclear-specific training, leaving communities vulnerable if a radiological emergency occurs at sites like San Onofre.
Unprepared for the Unthinkable
Envato
First responders lack nuclear-specific training, leaving communities vulnerable if a radiological emergency occurs at sites like San Onofre.
San Onofre exemplifies a broader problem: when decommissioned nuclear facilities are treated as lower-risk, oversight diminishes while the potential consequences remain enormous. Without transparency, training, and robust public communication, the responsibility of protection rests largely on chance — a dangerous gamble in one of the nation’s most populated and geologically active regions. Permanent solutions and regulatory accountability are urgently needed to ensure that nuclear waste does not become a silent disaster waiting to happen.
