As a result of pressure from The Surfrider Foundation and the State Lands Commission, Southern California Edison has committed to providing 48-hour notifications of liquid batch releases of radioactive effluent at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
Effluent containing small amounts of radioactive isotopes routinely get legally released from nuclear power plants. For Southern California, that means San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) releases these radioactive materials through ocean discharge pipes 1.1 miles offshore of the popular surf beaches at San Onofre State Park. Released isotopes often include cesium-137, cobalt-60 and tritium.
When the plant was in operation, SONGS averaged 171 radioactive liquid batch releases each year, without any notification. Now that the plant has decommissioned, the frequency and volume of releases has decreased substantially. Edison has warned that in the next couple years, the frequency and volume will increase again due to the draining and demolition of spent fuel cooling pools and other infrastructure onsite.
Surfrider believes that people have the right to know about these releases, in advance. The good news is that the dose is extremely low and is currently considered not a health hazard (e.g. based on previously reported dose levels, surfing San Onofre every day for 100 years would result in a radiation dose less than a single dental X-ray); however, any exposure to radiation is concerning and important to be aware of. Learn more about potential health risks associated with San Onofre batch releases from independent expert radiochemist, Dr. Ken Buesseler.
To help track these releases, Surfrider has partnered with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Our Radioactive Ocean campaign to test beach water at the San Onofre surf zone and outfall site for radioactive isotopes. In 2022, results came back higher than the ambient ocean level of California coastal waters impacted by Fukushima, yet well below drinking water limits. The study will be conducted again in 2023, and you can learn more about our testing efforts and results to date here. These studies were made possible thanks to donations from community members across Southern California. Surfrider also monitors Edison’s public Liquid Batch Release Notification page and will aim to add all release notifications in 2023 to the list below.
July 25, 2023- Radioactive Effluent Release THURSDAY, July 27! Edison will release about 119,250 gallons of radioactive effluent, causing an additional dose of 0.00698 mrem, on Thursday, July 27. This release will account for 0.235% of the Annual Whole Body Dose Limit set by the NRC, and expected to take place over the course of 20 hours.
June 8, 2023- Radioactive Effluent Release TODAY, June 8! Edison is releasing about 140,450 gallons of radioactive effluent, causing an additional dose of 0.00901 mrem, on Thursday, June 8. This release will account for 0.21% of the Annual Whole Body Dose Limit set by the NRC.
May 25, 2023- Radioactive Effluent Release THURSDAY, May 25! Edison released about 45,050 gallons of radioactive effluent, causing an additional dose of 0.00233 mrem, on Thursday, May 25. This release will account for 0.0599% of the Annual Whole Body Dose Limit set by the NRC.
March 14, 2023- Radioactive Effluent Release for THIS THURSDAY, Mar 16, Announced! Over the course of 22 hours, Edison will release 120,734 gallons of radioactive effluent, causing an additional dose of 0.00532 mrem on Thursday, March 16. This release will account for 0.0997% of the Annual Whole Body Dose Limit set by the NRC.
February 25, 2023- Radioactive Effluent Release for THIS MONDAY, Feb 27, Announced! Over the course of 21 hours, Edison will release 107,765 gallons of radioactive effluent, causing an additional dose of 0.00402 mrem on Monday, February 27. This release will account for 0.0695% of the Annual Whole Body Dose Limit set by the NRC.
February 13, 2023- Radioactive Effluent Release for THIS WEDNESDAY, Feb 15, Announced! Edison will release about 110,000 gallons of radioactive effluent, causing an additional dose of 0.00893 mrem, on Wednesday, February 15. This release will account for 0.149%% of the Annual Whole Body Dose Limit set by the NRC.
To learn more about Surfrider’s effort to protect the ocean, waves and beaches near San Onofre and get the waste off the beach, click here.