SLF supports aggressive renewable energy expansion as the preferred path forward and seeks strategic action for the waste at San Onofre. | | Safeguarding our Nuclear Waste??? | | |
Holtec International is responsible for tearing down Southern California Edison's San Onofre nuclear plant with nuclear waste. An investigative report on Holtec just released today, reveals a remarkable history of carelessness. The article points to stalled projects, compliance issues, unfulfilled technical claims, criminal investigations, and broken promises. Instead of dealing with these glaring issues, the company is expanding. Holtec intends to use untested technology and push controversial re-commissioning plans.
The article underscores what many of us have known for years: without enforceable federal oversight, independent engineering review, and transparent performance standards, San Onofre’s waste poses a real risk to Southern California. Former Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Greg Jaczko, and other nuclear policy leaders argue that the myriad of issues surrounding Holtec’s rapid expansion and unfulfilled reactor plans erode confidence in its ability to manage high-risk waste. Is this who we should trust to keep us, the 9 million residents within 50 miles of San Onofre, safe?
| | This Giving Tuesday, Join Us | | | | |
Giving Tuesday, a global movement for generosity, is on December 2. You can help protect California’s coast from 3.6 million pounds of deadly nuclear waste at San Onofre.
Get involved:
Every action helps fund public education, expert convenings, and solutions to this urgent challenge.
Sign up for free membership and receive a thank-you packet, an optional printed annual report, and recognition on our SLF Community page.
| | From the Amazon, a Call for Climate Hope | | |
Our planet is under siege as we deplete our limited resources. That's why an annual international climate meeting was first convened 30 years ago. This year's meeting, COP30, is currently happening in Belém at the edge of the Amazon. Leaders and stakeholders from nearly 200 nations are assessing progress under the Paris Agreement and discussing solutions for cutting emissions, funding programs to help communities adapt to climate, and protecting the planet.
This year’s talks come at a critical moment where global emissions rise significantly, current policies risk dangerous warming, and countries face pressure to deliver a credible plan to transition away from oil, gas, and coal. Small island states are sinking and join other climate-vulnerable nations to call for stronger targets and financing for renewable energy. Major fossil-fuel producers resist binding commitments.
The United States is notably absent after stepping back from the Paris framework, leaving a vacuum even as it expands domestic oil and gas production.
Indigenous leadership has defined COP30. Communities from across Brazil and Latin America led major demonstrations and met directly with negotiators, insisting that real climate solutions require Indigenous governance, forest protection, and land rights. Though excluded from formal decision-making, their presence brought urgency and moral clarity to this year’s summit.
| | Safety and Health Guardrails at Risk | | |
The late Dan Hirsch, a lifelong advocate for public safety, warned that recent executive orders could allow the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to gut federal radiation protection standards and expose communities to unprecedented risk. Hirsch cautioned that raising the public radiation limit from the long-standing 0.01–0.1 rem range to 10 rem (a 100- to 1,000-fold increase) could result in four out of five people exposed over a lifetime developing a cancer they otherwise would not have faced. To put this in perspective: a single chest X-ray delivers about 2 millirem (0.002 rem); the proposed limit would allow yearly exposure equivalent to 5,000 chest X-rays each year, sustained from conception through death.
As we honor Hirsch’s passing and the clarity of his warnings, his work continues to spark action.
| | SLF Joins Forces with Mothers for Peace | | |
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is California's last nuclear power plant, which means it is still generating nuclear waste with no plan to safely store it. We joined SLO Mothers for Peace at a recent hearing to oppose the utility company's request to extend the plant's operations, which were slated to end this year. Programs Director Nadia Khawja presented that continued operation threatens seismic safety, marine life, and long-term radioactive waste management. California’s energy needs are already met by renewables and storage.
Land conservation cannot compensate for the massive harm Diablo Canyon’s operations inflict on marine life, as protecting land does nothing to prevent fish kills, kelp disruption, or ocean ecosystem damage. We urge the Commission to uphold the Coastal Act and prioritize safety and environmental protection.
| | SLF Media Center Launches! | | Today we’re launching the Samuel Lawrence Foundation Media Center - a tool for journalists, researchers, and community members to explore, engage, and elevate the conversation around safe nuclear waste storage at San Onofre and across the nation. Create an account to gain free access to our white papers, press releases, reports, expert analysis, nuclear news, photos, videos, and story leads. Join now! | | SLF Honors Emerging Filmmaker at International Uranium Film Festival | | | | |
The Samuel Lawrence Foundation awarded Best Emerging Filmmaker to Arif Khan for his VR documentary Address Unknown: Fukushima Now. The film uses VR to immerse viewers in the communities devastated by the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster, sharing intimate stories of displacement and the evolving meaning of “home.” Released in 2024 and continuing to screen at major festivals in 2025—including the International Uranium Film Festival and SXSW—it brings urgently needed attention to the long-term human impacts of nuclear accidents.
SLF’s $1,000 award recognizes Khan’s powerful contribution to nuclear storytelling and our shared commitment to elevating voices on the front lines of environmental and community harm.
| | Oceans of Bach: A Night of Music and Science to Inspire Action | | |
Show Up & Speak Out
Share our message, attend events, and help grow awareness in your community.
Contact Your County Supervisor
Demand stronger oversight of waste storage in your region.
Back Your Local Leadership
Support Larry Agran’s initiative for an independent study to move the waste.
Support Federal Legislation
Back Rep. Mike Levin’s push in Congress for long-term nuclear waste solutions.
Join the Movement!
Partner with SLF in our grassroots campaign for safety and accountability.
Find a template to contact your reps here.
Or email us at admin@samuellawrencefoundation.org to get involved.
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