John --

The San Diego Union-Tribune just published an editorial titled “Desmond smart idea on removing San Onofre’s nuclear waste,” and I’m glad they’re taking notice of the work we’re doing.

For more than a decade, millions of pounds of spent nuclear fuel have remained stored at the former San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Everyone agrees this is a serious issue, and for years, communities along our coast have been told to simply live with it while waiting for a federal solution that never arrived.

I refused to accept that doing nothing was the best we could do.

That’s why I brought forward a measure — passed unanimously by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors — directing the County to pursue a smarter path: working with national laboratories and researchers to explore how spent nuclear fuel can be reused or repurposed through next-generation nuclear technology. These advancements could reduce long-term risk, improve safety, and help move this material away from indefinite storage on our coastline.

The Union-Tribune’s editorial recognizes that this isn’t about ignoring the dangers of nuclear waste — it’s about finally confronting them with common sense and innovation. It acknowledges that outdated federal policies have left communities like ours stuck with a problem we didn’t create, and that new research and technology offer a real opportunity to change that.

I appreciate the editorial board highlighting this effort, because it reinforces an important point: this problem is solvable. With leadership, science, and the willingness to challenge decades-old policies, we can reduce risk for our region and help drive a safer, smarter national solution.

This is exactly why I took action — and why I’ll continue pushing until San Onofre’s waste is no longer someone else’s forgotten problem sitting on our coast.

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond
https://www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/