Levin Proposes Campuses for San Onofre Nuclear Waste
Rep. Mike Levin's proposals aim to address the spent nuclear fuel stored at the decommissioned San Onofre plant on California's coast.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Nuclear
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Rep. Mike Levin proposed Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses to recycle and store spent fuel from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which ceased operating in 2013. He also introduced the Spent Fuel Prioritization Act to move San Onofre up the federal fuel removal list.
Why it matters
No permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel exists in the United States, leaving waste at coastal sites like San Onofre that are vulnerable to natural disasters and national security threats. Levin argues the stored fuel near earthquake faults and Camp Pendleton poses a risk that warrants faster action.
Canister lifespans are currently 40 years, while Levin's proposed bill would require 100-year lifespans, according to the legislative proposal. The Atlas Railcar System, costing $33 million, can carry nearly half a million pounds of spent fuel, but whether the bill will pass remains unresolved.
The players
Mike Levin
U.S. Representative from California who has spent eight years working on the spent nuclear fuel issue and introduced the proposed legislation.
Barack Obama
Former U.S. president whose 2010 cancellation of the Yucca Mountain repository plan left the country without a permanent nuclear waste site.
The details
Levin's Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses would recycle some spent fuel and store remaining waste in exchange for economic development. The Spent Fuel Prioritization Act would move sites with high seismic hazards, large populations, and national security risk up the removal list.
Timeline
2010: Obama cancelled the Yucca Mountain repository plan.
2013: San Onofre ceased operating after a steam generator failure.
2020: Decommissioning of San Onofre began.
2026: Levin's report on San Onofre was issued.
Big Picture
The proposals follow the 2010 cancellation of the Yucca Mountain repository plan, which left the United States without a permanent site for spent nuclear fuel. Similar efforts in Finland, which expects to permanently dispose of its nuclear waste as soon as next year, highlight the gap.
Residents near California's coast would be affected by where spent fuel is ultimately stored and how fast it is moved. The proposed 100-year canister requirement would determine how long current storage can safely remain in place.
The takeaway
Long-term storage remains the central unresolved question for spent nuclear fuel, and proposals like Levin's show how much depends on congressional action. Tracking committee progress will show whether coastal sites like San Onofre move up the removal list.
Further reading
Explore more on Nuclear policy and waste management.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Redwood City Pulse.
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