June 19, 2025

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3.6 Miles for 3.6M Pounds of Waste THIS SATURDAY!

Join us this Saturday, June 21 at 9:30 AM in Oceanside for our first 3.6 Mile Walk/Run for a nuclear waste-free coast! We’ll start and finish at Bound Coffee with warm-ups and a cold plunge, then celebrate with drinks, vendors, live music, and community action. Whether you walk, run, or cheer, you’ll be part of finding a solution for the stranded waste at San Onofre.

BREAKING: Supreme Court Enables Dangerous Nuclear Waste Storage Plan

On June 18, the Supreme Court granted private companies permission to store nuclear waste in Texas and New Mexico. The Court didn’t weigh in on whether the sites are legal, but rather it ruled that the states challenging them didn’t follow proper procedures, so their objections were dismissed.

This means decades of transporting thousands of trucks with deadly radioactive waste across the country, putting countless towns and neighborhoods in harm’s way. These so-called “interim” sites are unlikely to remain temporary. As an SLF advisor explains: “Basically, the Court says GO to Holtec to have temporary sites while the permanent solution is still undone by the NRC. Holtec wins when people get no long-term solution.”

The decision sidelines state impact where storage risks public health and the environment. We need decisions made yesterday, and solutions now.

Executive Orders Sideline Waste Solutions

Last month, the federal government issued several executive orders that fast-track nuclear development while weakening safety and oversight, raising serious implications for the 3.6 million pounds of radioactive waste still recklessly stored at San Onofre.

They include:

• EO 14299 expands military use of nuclear reactors.
• EO 14300 speeds up reactor approvals by cutting safety staff and loosening radiation rules.
• EO 14301 weakens environmental reviews for experimental reactors.
• EO 14302 promotes waste-creating fuel reprocessing and delays real storage solutions.

These executive orders ignore long-term waste solutions. We urge you to contact your California State Senator and demand real, community-driven safety standards, especially for coastal sites like San Onofre. See our email template below to take action.

We Support SLO Mothers for Peace

Last week, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace urged California lawmakers to stop a massive rate hike by PG&E - calling out the $410 million increase for Diablo Canyon as unjustified, especially after a $1.4 billion no-interest taxpayer loan. Californians are now being asked to pay more while PG&E posts record profits and pays its CEO $17 million. This betrayal is how corporate utilities exploit public funds while avoiding accountability, all under the guise of energy reliability. SLF stands proudly with SLOMFP in demanding fairness and a safer energy future for all. Revoke SB 846, recall the loan, and allow Diablo Canyon to be decommissioned.

Please see the letter addressed to the California State Assembly and Senate.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace

mothersforpeace.org

Radiation Reparations

Justice may finally be coming for communities harmed by nuclear contamination. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) led the push to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), adding it to a major Senate tax bill. The update would cover more people impacted by radiation and recognize additional illnesses, an overdue step toward acknowledging nuclear harm. It’s a powerful reminder that federal action is possible when we speak up and refuse to allow our communities to be harmed without consent.

Environmental & Racial Justice

As we honor Juneteenth today, we reflect on the ongoing work of justice and the responsibility to protect communities from environmental harm. Across the U.S. and globally, nuclear activities have disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous, and marginalized communities. While San Onofre may not share that legacy, it reminds us that decisions about nuclear waste must prioritize public health, safety, and equity.

This month, we’re proud to spotlight SLF intern Madeline, whose research calls for centering frontline voices in nuclear policy. As she writes, “no new nuclear infrastructure should be built until the past is addressed and communities on the frontlines of nuclear harm are centered in decisions about what comes next.” We remain committed to a future where solutions to nuclear waste are safe and shaped by the communities they affect.

Thanks for Having Us, EcoFest!

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.

What Can YOU Do About Nuclear Waste at San Onofre?

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

Like these topics? Check out our YouTube or Spotify, where we bring together leading experts to discuss climate change, nuclear safety, environmental issues, energy solutions, and public health and wellness.

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