One Year Anniversary of Our Symposium | | |
Last summer, the Samuel Lawrence Foundation brought national experts, scientists, and public officials to UC San Diego for Radioactive Waste: Growing Threats, Emerging Solutions. The symposium examined seismic risk, regulatory failure, and long-term safety while also charting a hopeful path forward.
Highlights included:
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Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson (Stanford) proved we can meet climate goals faster without nuclear, which diverts time and resources from faster, safer solutions.
| | Leona Morgan (Diné Activist) called for justice across the full nuclear cycle, reminding us that the nuclear waste crisis began long before San Onofre with uranium extraction on Indigenous lands. | | |
Irvine Mayor Larry Agran proposed moving waste to higher ground and upgrading safety protocols.
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The urgency remains because the waste is not going anywhere. Federal policy is backsliding, and our response must grow. Stay tuned for details on our 2026 Symposium as we prepare for the LA28 Olympics surf competition at San Onofre.
| | Hearing TODAY on San Onofre | | |
San Clemente City Hall
Thursday, July 17 | 2 PM PT
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is reviewing Southern California Edison’s request to recover $524 million in decommissioning costs for San Onofre and Palo Verde, despite critical safety and cost concerns.
There is still no licensed interim storage site, and the waste remains near the ocean in a seismic zone. Relocating it within a decade remains unlikely, and current cost estimates fail to account for the long-term risks.
If you’re local, please attend. Your voice matters.
| | | Shift in NRC Seen Yesterday | | |
Yesterday, the NRC held a public meeting to consider weakening federal radiation safety standards, following the May executive order that directs the agency to abandon long-standing protections like the Linear No-Threshold and ALARA models. Experts warned this would raise cancer risks and reduce cleanup obligations at nuclear sites. There is already a concerning trend of rising cancer rates in younger adults, with recent studies showing increases in early-onset cancers among those under 50, according to the National Cancer Institute (2025).
Nuclear decision-making is shifting from the NRC to the Department of Energy and the Pentagon, reducing independent oversight. SLF is closely tracking these changes and remains committed to protecting public health and environmental safety.
| | New Report Confirms: Renewables Are the Smart Investment | | |
Lazard, one of the world’s leading financial advisory and asset management firms, has released its latest Levelized Cost of Energy+ report, a key resource for understanding how energy costs are evolving in the U.S.
The report confirms what many in the climate and energy space already know: renewables are leading the way. Here’s what the report shows:
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Solar and wind are still the cheapest forms of new energy, even without subsidies.
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Nuclear power remains the most expensive, with costs far above solar, wind, and gas.
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Gas-fired power generation is becoming less economical, with prices hitting a 10-year high due to inflation and equipment shortages.
These findings reinforce the urgency and economic logic of accelerating our transition to clean, renewable energy sources. At the Samuel Lawrence Foundation, we remain committed to advancing science-based solutions that are both sustainable and fiscally responsible.
| | Nearly 200 people joined us last month in Carlsbad and Oceanside for our 3.6-mile run/walk: one mile for every million pounds of radioactive waste stranded at San Onofre. With new supporters, local voices, and powerful community energy, we’re building momentum for real, science-based solutions. Thank you to everyone who ran, walked, sponsored, and helped raise awareness! | | Upcoming Purpose-Driven Paddle Out | | |
On October 11 at 10 AM, SLF is hosting a powerful paddle-out at San Onofre State Beach in partnership with Paddle for Peace. This event brings together surfers, youth advocates, community leaders, and allies from across California who are united in their love for the ocean and their call for action on the unresolved nuclear waste crisis at San Onofre. It's a bold demonstration of community power, calling for long-overdue solutions to protect our coast from radiation.
The day will feature sustainable local vendors, live music, great food, and space to connect with environmental justice leaders and frontline voices. Stay tuned for updates!
Photo Copyright: Blue Wesley Photography 2020
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Inspired by Nobel laureate Barbara McClintock, the McClintock Letters campaign needs all writers to publish stories and letters in local news outlets, sharing how federally funded research benefits their communities. This nationwide initiative connects science with the public, rebuilds trust, and counters misinformation one letter at a time.
We encourage our readers, especially scientists and researchers, to write to Voice of San Diego, San Diego Union-Tribune, Times of San Diego, and San Diego Reader.
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Help Us Support Deanna
For over 45 years, Deanna Polk has dedicated her life to protecting others as a nurse, disaster responder, and nuclear safety advocate. She helped shut down the defective San Onofre nuclear plant and continues to volunteer with SLF, despite personal hardship. Now, she needs our help. Please consider donating to help cover her essential needs because no one who’s given this much should ever be left behind.
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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.
| | SLF is not an anti-nuclear organization. Our community strongly advocates for safe, common-sense containment of spent nuclear waste, with an objective of maintaining the health of our environment and all its inhabitants | | |
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Samuel Lawrence Foundation
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