Tom Gudauskas walks along the cobblestone beach near an eroding cliff, part of which has been swept away by strong storms during the past two winters.
On one side, surfers cruise along slow-rolling waves at one of the most iconic surf breaks in the world: San Onofre, a longboard haven often called the Waikiki of Southern California.
On the inland side up on the bluff, near two massive domes that mark shuttered nuclear reactors, work is underway to encase millions of pounds of radioactive waste in thick concrete.
“My gut instinct is that this is a situation that needed more evaluation,” said Gudauskas, 63, who has surfed the area since he was 12.