There will be no Fukushima or Chernobyl type disaster at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station as it continues decommissioning, its public-information officer told the MainStreet Oceanside monthly Morning Meeting Tuesday.
John Dobken listed fears of a repeat of those historic nuclear-plant accidents as an example of myths needing to be debunked.
Rick Wright, MainStreet Executive Director, said former Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern recommended Dobken’s briefing to MainStreet.
At nearby San Onofre, Dobken said, nuclear material is a ceramic pellet contained within fuel rods that then are sealed in stainless steel canisters with welded-shut lids that then go into concrete until they can be taken to some still-to-be identified federal disposal site. The pellets, he said, are 95 percent uranium 238.
The “spent fuel” is just that – spent – Dobken said and “can not get a reaction.”
Plans for dismantling the site, he said, go all the way to the year 2061. Then it will return to its property owner, the Navy.
Another “myth” he dismissed is that the cliffs are unstable and will crumble, creating possible danger from the spent fuel being stored in the reinforced-concrete below grade level.
Cliffs, Dobken said, are down to sturdy bedrock. He said the seawall and a beach walkway will remain.
The plant’s 85-acre site “is not a very large footprint,” Dobken said.
“Work is going to be going on the next eight years,” Dobken said, “as we take down the plant, take down the domes, take the material offsite and eventually turn it back to the Navy.”
Major demolition is scheduled from 2026 to 2029, Dobken said, with the (landmark)domes gone in 2026.
There are offshore structures to be demolished as well, Dobken said, showing a slide of conduits and other structures.
Safety, stewardship and engagement (with the public) are the three core principles of the decommissioning, Dobken said. About engagement with the public, Dobken said., there are 12,000 residents within five miles of the nuclear site He said he’s been meeting with a lot of communities , and the next session is set for 5:30 p.m. May 26 in the San Juan Capistrano Community Center.
“We want to make sure we’re good neighbors to San Onofre State Beach,” Dobken said.
There are three reactor units at the plant, a slide showed, with the first one operating from 1968 to 1992. The last was shut down in 2013.
Congressman Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, has proposed legislation to move the fuel from San Onofre, Dobken said, but “it’s going to take all of you to make it happen,.”
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For more information, Dobken recommended www.SONGScommunity.com with data also available on Facebook and Twitter.
Dobken’s slide presentation can be viewed at
https://www.mainstreetoceanside.com/monthly-meeting.
The second presentation of the morning was by Ashley Carr and Ricky Calleja from YMCA Youth and Family Service Connection 2020 telling of their work with young people age 18 to 24, many homeless or aged out of the foster-care system.
Carr said its classes focus on empoloyment preparation – writing a resume, getting ready for an interview, etc., and she said business owners can partner with the program, with paid internships and payroll handled by the Y.
Teams are working all over San Diego County – north, central and south, Calleja said, and he and Carr are partners in the north. He also talked about the art work being done by the youth and being offered for sale. He said their designs have been put on tee shirts and sweat pants.
“Wow, what a great program,” Wright said.
In other business;
–Wright subbed for Cathy Nykiel, who manages both the Sunset Market and the annual Indpendence Parade. He said she was under the weather and gave him her notes. First, he thanked those who had participated in the annual Public Safety Night at the market. And then he reminded about the parade, its committee meeting on the second Wednesday at 9:15. He said applications for entries are online and 100 volunteers are needed the day of the parade (June 27). Wright said the three “hometown heroes” to be honored this year are Margery Pierce (just-retired, longtime director of community services for the city); Marva Bledsoe (retired last year after four decades as head of the Womens Resource Center and Larry Schallock, board member, Tri City Medical Center.
–Wright said a list of school spring-break dates from Visit Oceanside (the dates are different for the three most-local districts – March 30-April 3 for Vista. April 4-12 for Oceanside and April 11-19 for Carlsbad) was available in the back of the room.
–Volunteers also are needed, Wright said, for Earth Day April 18.
–Gumaro Escarcega, Main Street programs director, said the community workshop last Saturday for a new mosaic mural went well. Wright said the mayor (Peter Weiss) glued the first tile onto the first panel. Escarcega called it “pretty fun stuff” and said the next workshop will be held April 4.
–Patrick Young, the city’s special-events coordinator, said the Ironman 70.3 race competition will be held April 4 in the harbor area.
–Young also said there will be disruption in the beach/pier area as construction begins on the long-awaited renovations in the area, including new bathrooms. “The project is amazing,” Wright said, calling it “a massive improvement on the beaches.” “Everybody is going to benefit,” Wright said. The construction, he said, “will have a pretty significant impact on the beach area.” Information is available, he said, at DowntownOceanside.com.
–Paul Cauthen announced from the audience the annual Goat for Joe golf tournament March 21 at the Goat Hill Golf Course in Oceanside. It benefits mental-health programs and is named for Joe Nuñez, who committed suicide. More information is here: https://birdease.com/goatforjoe
–Lifelong resident and local historian John Daley reported that the developer of a beachfront luxury hotel is ready to move the “Top Gun House,” built in 1887, back to the property. It will be re-installed a block north of its original location. “That’s great news,” Wright said.
–Wright introduced, to applause, MainStreet’s new office manager, Angie Leonard, replacing the retired Kathy Hamman, who’s moving out of state. He called Leonard “an Oceansider, a long-time resident.”
–When Wright asked how many people had voted this election day, most hands in the audience went up. He said he’d had to fill out a special affidavit because the signatures did not match on his mail-in ballot so he joked that, if the count is seven days late in California, he’s to blame.
–Wright complimented PassPort to San Diego representatives in the audience, saying it is “doing a good job for Oceanside.” and he also told Sue Otto from Coast News that he appreciates its support.
–Gigi Gleason, president of the board of the Oceanside Boys & Girls Club, invited people to the annual fundraiser for the club’s Cuisine for Kids program with 23 local restaurants participating this Thursday evening. Wright said he was impressed by the restaurants that are involved.
–As the meeting was concluding, Janene Shepherd, aide to City Councilman Ryan Keim, spoke of a workshop on homelessness tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. March 18 in the council chambers. She also provided the link on the City’s website for more information on the homeless issue:
https://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/gov/ns/housing/homeless/default.asp
The next Morning Meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. April 7 at the MainStreet office, 701 Mission Ave.
What is MainStreet Oceanside?
MainStreet Oceanside had its beginnings in the Downtown Business Association, formed in the early 1990’s as a loosely organized group of business people who met on a regular basis to discuss common concerns. By the end of the decade, as business conditions improved, the group decided to elevate the Downtown Business Association to a more organized approach to downtown issues and applied for state recognition as a certified California Main Street city. Official status was granted to the organization in July 2000.
