Increasing Public Engagement On The Issue of Nuclear Waste In The USA. Defense Paper

Table of Contents

Project Summary

1. Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Project Proposal
1.3 Project Outcome
1.4 Purpose and Significance of Project

2. Description of Project
2.1 Objectives
2.2 Project Results
2.3 Analysis

3. Discussion

4. Acknowledgements

Project Summary

Public engagement in environmental and public safety decisions are critical in maintaining and preserving National and State parks. Maintaining regulations regarding safety practices of active nuclear power plants and decommissioning power plants are necessary for the safety of nearby communities, protection of surrounding wildlife and the prevention of a major nuclear accident. As fossil fuels are a known major contributor to climate change, the use of nuclear power around the world, and in the United States, is a topic of controversy. Nuclear power in the U.S. accounts for more than 30% of the world’s nuclear generated electricity (World Nuclear Association, 2019). Citizens and policy makers often dispute whether nuclear power is, or could be in the future, a sufficient alternative to fossil fuels.

Less understood by the public is the issue of what can be done with nuclear waste generated from nuclear power plants. It is often misconstrued that those advocating for safe disposal and transportation of nuclear waste are against nuclear power, which is another issue, yet not separate from the topic of nuclear waste disposal.

The San Onofre State Beach Park in San Onofre, California is the home of the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) and the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) where nuclear waste is being “temporarily” stored. The corporation in charge of both sites, Southern California Edison, has obscured and intentionally concealed important facts regarding public safety.

The public has the right to know what is happening at the sites because it is a critical matter of public safety. The public cannot push for policy change on behalf of the safety of those nearby and the environment without an understanding of what Southern California Edison is actually doing with the nuclear waste. Public Watchdogs of San Diego is working diligently to accomplish two things; to expose the truth of what is happening at the San Onofre State Beach Park and to stop the completion of a substandard ‘temporary’ storage solution that could potentially endanger all life in Southern California. The devastating repercussions of a nuclear accident at the San Onofre State Beach Park could last for thousands of years.

I have been tasked with the responsibility of helping to create insights and story angles from June 3, 2019 until October 24, 2019 over 40 hours per week to bring attention to the issue of nuclear waste at San Onofre. Part of the objective of Public Watchdogs is public and environmental advocacy by summoning public will, which I learned about from reading Pezullo’s, “Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere.” Public will is the desire of many people for change that evidently pushes policy makers to make these changes. The complex findings from my research on the issue were translated into simple and engaging story angles for the public. Many creative presentations of story angles were released to the public, and some are yet to be released, in support of the legal filings by Public Watchdogs to stop the burial of nuclear waste at San Onofre and to enforce stricter safety standards. A significant and recent challenge to my work is that all content must be cleared by a former TV news anchor and a legal team. This created additional communication challenges and learning opportunities.

1. Introduction

I was told about Public Watchdogs in September of 2018 by a previous employer, who is now a frequent donor to the 501 © nonprofit. On August 9, 2018, a “whistleblower” employed by a Southern California Edison (SCE) contractor by the name of David Fritch spoke out at a public hearing sponsored by Edison exposing the truth of the August 3, 2018 “near-miss” accident that occurred on site. A thin-walled stainless-steel canister of nuclear waste suspended in the air fell nearly 18 feet without a “canister enclosure cavity.” If the canister had broken, radiation would have been released into the atmosphere, and the severity of the potential consequences are unknown. SCE failed to report this incident to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), as required by law. This incident was a pressing issue when I returned home to San Diego for winter break, and I became interested in learning more.

I became substantively engaged with the issue when I found out that everyone in San Diego and Orange County was in immediate danger of radioactive nuclear waste. I learned that my entire hometown could face irreparable destruction, and become uninhabitable. Most people in San Diego and Orange County were completely unaware. My first reaction was to believe that the government would never allow something like this to happen in the United States, let alone in my hometown. I was shocked to find out that government organizations are partially responsible for this immense danger in Southern California. If a major nuclear accident were to occur in Southern California, the area could be uninhabitable for thousands of years. I thought that if a major accident were to occur while I was away in Miami, I would have no home which to return. The possibility of mass evacuations and fears of radiation induced illness filled my mind. However, the issue is far larger than the permanent evacuation of my childhood home. It involves public safety of local communities, potential toxic contamination of the entire Pacific Ocean, the destruction of habitats, loss of multiple species from the face of the earth and the loss of sacred historical land. Moreover, the issue also involves the future of nuclear waste disposal practices of decommissioned plants across the United States. I found out that Public Watchdogs is the only organization legally challenging the organizations who are responsible for putting Southern California in nuclear danger.

Every time I thought I understood the complexity of the issue at San Onofre, I discovered a new element of the problem and an entirely new angle of the story unfolded. I recognized the need for this complex issue to be broken down into something the public could easily grasp. At first I believed that the multiplicity of pieces to the story was a burden or a potential weakness because it was difficult to transform this topic into something the public would be able to learn about quickly; but now I recognize each angle as a different hook that could be used and I was able to engage a greater number of citizens. I learned that the depth and complexity of the issue could be used as a benefit.

1.1 Background

San Onofre State Beach Park is the birthplace of surf culture in Southern California. It is home to the famous surf breaks; Trestles and Church. It is home to an array of terrestrial and marine wildlife. It was also once the ancestral home and ancient burial ground of the Acjachemen Tribal Nation who claim to have lived at San Onofre for at least 10,000 years.

Today, 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste sits in ‘temporary storage’ on the site either underwater in the spent fuel pools where the nuclear waste is stored or in the storage canisters. The storage canisters encase the nuclear waste in 5/8” thick stainless steel, protected by only 15 feet of seawall, 108 feet away from the beach. The canisters were not built to withstand salt air, and they are only guaranteed to last for a mere 25 years. The nuclear waste will remain deadly for thousands of years. This storage system is only meant to be a ‘temporary’ storage solution until another location for the nuclear waste to be transported to is found. However, Public Watchdogs uncovered that the legal definition of ‘temporary’ could actually mean up to 300 years. As of today, 34 of the 73 nuclear waste canisters have been buried in the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in carbon steel storage silos inside of earthen beams. Once buried, the canisters cannot be retrieved from the ground, so they will not be able to be transported anywhere without cracking (Public Watchdogs, 2019). The canisters are already estimated to be damaged, but there is no way to check once they are buried (San Onofre Safety, 2019). Once the canisters become cracked, there is no safe method to repair them underground and the release of deadly radioactive waste cannot be stopped (San Onofre Safety, 2019). The nuclear waste that has not been buried remains in the spent fuel pools.

When the radiation levels of the spent fuel pools get too high, SCE dumps the contaminated radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean under the procedure, ‘Dilute and Discharge.’ As radiation is nearly impossible to detect in water, the impact of this practice is unknown. However, to compensate for the damage that was found by the California Coastal Commission, SCE was court-ordered to fund the creation of Wheeler North Reef, the largest artificial reef in the United States. Wheeler North Reef has yet to be deemed a ‘successful’ reef. One of the measurements of success required by the California Coastal Commission is by the amount of fish it attracts. The Coastal Commission has required Wheeler North Reef to acquire a minimum biomass of 28 tons of fish (Reed and Shroeter, 2017). Wheeler North Reef has failed to meet that requirement every year (Reed and Shroeter, 2017). Instead of focusing on fostering a hospitable environment for marine life within the area, SCE is currently using taxpayer money to pay for the expansion of the reef in order to meet minimum requirements. Even though the plant is no longer running, the ‘once-through cooling’ system is still active, drawing in 42 million gallons of water daily and returning the water about 19 degrees Fahrenheit warmer to the Pacific Ocean (Reed and Shroeter, 2017). Expanding the reef around this “thermal plume,” the area that is being heated by the once-through cooling process, might give the reef a better chance at finally meeting this requirement although damage is still being caused (San Onofre Safety, 2019).

The nuclear waste site at San Onofre is a public health threat to 8.5 million Southern California residents living within the 50-mile plume zone, which is the area identified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that is subject to risk of radiation (Public Watchdogs, 2019). The exact consequences of radiation being released from San Onofre are dependent upon the amount of radiation that is released as well as other factors such as whether or not the accident happens in the spent fuel pools or underground.

Once all of the nuclear waste at SONGS is buried, current law dictates that it is no longer the responsibility of SCE, and it will become the public’s responsibility. Burying the nuclear waste on site at San Onofre is the cheapest, and fastest solution for SCE. Transporting it elsewhere has been discussed, but there is no legal alternative place to transport it to, and it is suspected that the thin-walled nuclear waste canisters could crack during the journey (San Onofre Safety, 2019). A site was under construction at Yucca Mountain, Nevada but the state of Nevada has refused to allow Yucca Mountain to accept the waste, and the indigenous people who live nearby did not want to take on the burden and danger of hosting the nuclear waste.

On August 30, 2019, Public Watchdogs called for court intervention to stop the burial of nuclear waste at San Onofre because neither the canisters nor the decommissioning plan have undergone a proper safety assessment. The canisters are buried 108 feet from the water, in a tsunami inundation zone, near the Newport Inglewood earthquake fault, and on a bluff threatened by erosion. New research shows Newport Inglewood is as deep and as potentially deadly as the San Andreas fault. The NRC, which is in charge of the decommissioning oversight, has not enforced effective safety practices. When SCE failed to disclose the ‘near-miss’ incident on August 3, 2018, this was a violation of federal law. The NRC issued SCE a $116,000.00 fine, which is virtually irrelevant given SCE’s hundreds of millions of dollars in annual profits. Public Watchdogs is advocating for safer management of the nuclear waste, and has initiated multiple legal actions to stop the unsafe burial process.

1.2 Project Proposal

The purpose of this internship project was to provide Public Watchdogs with communication strategies and outputs that effectively supported the goal of creating awareness and understanding among the general public of the complex issues. In addition, this project was to engage the public in pushing for policy change and safer regulations. All strategies and executions were supported by communication theories and studies that are relevant to environmental policy and public advocacy.

I proposed to (1) spread general awareness and understanding about the nuclear waste issue at San Onofre; (2) to encourage the Public Watchdogs primary target audience, identified by Charles Langley, the Executive Director, to donate financial resources to help the cause; (3) and to promote the Public Watchdogs petition to “[revoke] California permits allowing the unsafe burial of nuclear waste.”

To execute these objectives, I proposed to strategically create messages to the public that were framed to convey the complexity of the issue regarding the dumping of nuclear waste so they could understand the crucial components of the issue. All of the messages were to be based on research. From there, the goal was to get the public to sign a Public Watchdogs petition that called on government intervention to stop the burial process at San Onofre after successfully informing them on the issue. It was anticipated that the power of the public opinion would influence the policy makers.

1.3 Project Outcome

I completed the research, and created unique and creative messages in congruence with the original goals for the internship, which were to spread general awareness and encourage the public to influence policy change. However, the information was actually utilized for a purpose other than to get the public to make an informed decision to sign the Public Watchdogs’ petition. Instead of using the research and creative methods to promote the petition, the content was used to support the Public Watchdogs legal filings. It was determined that the research and ensuing information was too critical and that it would be best utilized in a court venue. It remained my goal to keep the public engaged with the legal filings. Content was frequently posted to the Public Watchdogs’ website and Facebook page. I also participated in public hearings regarding the nuclear waste issue. I spoke at public hearings as well as networked, and kept in contact with attendees. To keep the public engaged and interested in following Public Watchdogs’ legal efforts, I continued to create content examining the issues from different angles.

1.4 Purpose and Significance of Project

The purpose of this project was to develop a series of story angles and outputs that reach the public and spread general awareness by using framing. In the process, scientific arguments and incriminating evidence derived from research were linked to human emotion in such a way that put the issue of nuclear waste at San Onofre into perspective for the public. The approach was similar to the SANE ads in 1962 of the notorious Dr. Spock that “warned of the risks to people and the nonhuman world in ecological systems increasingly burdened by pollution, toxicity, and other hazards” (Dunaway, 2015). The Dr. Spock ad was meant to change the public perception of nuclear bomb testing in 1962 to something “ominous,” which was something I kept in mind while expressing each story angle (Dunaway, 2015). Each story angle was created with the intent to provoke a feeling of an immediate threat. The goal was to frame the story angle in such a way that made the issue a concern to the individual viewer. Since people often resort to the media to interpret environmental issues, it was appropriate to focus on using social media to break down the issue of nuclear waste at San Onofre from various frames. I used the concept of Shome and Marx’s “mental models” to present environmental news in such a way that aligned with viewers and allowed them to adopt the position that the information source took (Shome and Marx, 2009). For example, I avoided the use of framing the issue from the perspective of any political party as not to conflict with any viewer’s preexisting beliefs. Framing was used in this project often to create and reconstruct these mental models of various viewers.

2. Description of Project

The analysis of Public Watchdogs’ “social media network” was attempted in this project in order to create different frames, and to reach a wider range of people in the Southern California community (Fine and Kanter, 2010). While analyzing Public Watchdogs’ complex social media network, I found certain “hubs” that helped us connect to “nodes” that existed more on the “edge of periphery” (Fine and Kanter, 2010). For example, as will be explained in further detail in the “Materials” section, I discovered that Adelia Sandoval, a spiritual spokesperson for the Acjachemen Nation, is a “hub” with multiple connections to other nearby indigenous communities. While working with her, and helping her to communicate the nuclear waste issue from an Acjachemen member’s perspective, I was able to strengthen the “tie” between Public Watchdogs and the Acjachemen, and I am hopeful this will encourage involvement from nearby indigenous communities on the “edge of [our] periphery” once the Acjachemen story is posted on our website (Fine and Kanter, 2010).

2.1 Objectives

Multiple different story angles were identified and expanded upon, and each of them had a specific function within the big picture of the issue. Each story angle is later described in the “Materials” section. The objective of each identified story angle was to create content that would get the public engaged and help them achieve a fuller understanding of the issue.

With complex issues such as the one at San Onofre, the public often only receives exposure to bits and pieces of the information on the topic, leading to an insufficient understanding of the problem as a whole. When this happens, perceptions around who is to blame and what should be done are often misconstrued.

As the public attention span towards content on the internet is limited and often times difficult to obtain, the objective was to introduce pieces to the puzzle over an extended period of time that could each stand on their own without generating misconceptions. As it is nearly impossible to capture the public’s attention long enough for them to learn everything there is to know about the nuclear waste issue in one sitting, I realized that a full understanding of the issue was something that must be acquired over time. For example, the problems with where and how the waste is buried are one piece of the issue. However, the once-through cooling system that is being used for the canisters that have not been buried is another issue because the process is hurting marine life in the area. This is why many who are unaware of the environmental impacts of burying the canisters, but are aware of the problems at Wheeler North Reef, believe that the burial process should happen faster. Each piece of the puzzle is interesting on its own, but one cannot make an informed decision without understanding the complexity of the problem. I used Cox and Hansen’s concepts of “niche topics” to create story angles that present this “environmental beat” issue in such a way that is competitive enough to capture the public attention (Cox and Hansen, 2015).

The big-picture focus was to introduce the public to the Public Watchdogs’ lawsuit filed in order to stop the burial of nuclear waste, and to generate awareness regarding why the nuclear waste burial process should be stopped in order to enforce public safety. All of the content that was created for each angle became information that supplemented the lawsuit. Much of the social media content links to the Public Watchdogs site where a copy of the lawsuit and Temporary Restraining Order can be found (Public Watchdogs, 2019).

2.2 Project Results

Prior to starting my work at Public Watchdogs, Facebook posts tended to reach up to 20 engagements. The results of my project were successful, as I created content that engaged multiple members of the public. On one occasion, I was able to successfully engage more than 30,000 people, and 1,700 people clicked through to the Public Watchdogs’ website. This also happened to be the day after the filing of the Public Watchdogs’ major lawsuit, so engagement was critical during this time.

Public Watchdogs was also able to secure interviews with CBS Channel 8, ABC 10 News, and KUSI Channel 9 News regarding the lawsuit. All of the content that was shared with the public was required to have been cleared by the legal team. This made it especially challenging to post content in a timely manner. However, as a result, I also gained experience and helpful feedback from former TV news anchor, Lynn Stewart, on all of my content after August 28, 2019.

2.2.1 Methodology

Each story angle was created through extensive internet research, information provided at public hearings, or through the reviewing of legal documents. Multiple mediums were used to create engaging content, such as, Hootsuite, Canva, Facebook, MailChimp, Google Maps, and Microsoft Word. I used Hootsuite to organize and schedule my social media posts.

(Photo of typical Hootsuite schedule)

I used Canva to create visual memos, often to supplement text.

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(Photo of an image I created using Canva for a Facebook post)

Facebook was the main form of social media used because the majority of Public Watchdogs target audience uses Facebook frequently. Examples of Facebook posts will be shown in the “Materials” section. MailChimp was used to organize important contacts, send newsletters to people with connections to TV media, and to those who had signed up to receive emailed information from Public Watchdogs.

(Example of Mail Chimp newsletter below)

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I used Google Maps to create an interactive map that will be explained later in the “Materials” section. Microsoft Word was used to type blog posts, social media posts and other written content. For photo content, I created a list of possible story titles along with a photo ‘wish list’ of descriptions of photos I would like to have for upcoming posts. From there, I got a professional photographer to capture the photos described in my wish list.

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(One of the photos captured from the wish list)

2.2.2 Materials

Story Angle 1: The nuclear waste disposal at SONGS as a public health and safety threat

The nuclear waste issue at San Onofre is a threat to the health and safety of those in Southern California in multiple different ways. I created an infographic illustrating key details of the issue as a public health threat. There are two different versions. One is a shorter version meant for social media and the other is a more detailed version that was meant to supplement the information surrounding the lawsuit on the Public Watchdogs’ website, and for use as printed collateral at public events. This frame in particular was interesting to create with reference to Pearson’s article on the relation between demographic representation and risk perception of climate change and environmental issues (Pearson, 2017). It was noted in this article that “environmental interventions” that involve government restrictions and encroach upon individual rights are often seen as a threat to conservatives, especially white males, whereas “regulations that emphasize collective rights and protection of minority populations often resonate with liberals” (Pearson, 2017). One of my goals was to depoliticize the issue altogether by framing this health threat as a problem that concerns everyone. When constructing this frame, I kept this article in close consideration in order to avoid negatively provoking either political party by focusing on the immediate dangers.

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