Nuclear Steam Generator Transporter Heads East

A nuclear steam generator is slowly making its way across North County on a top-secret route from San Onofre to Utah, where it will be disposed of.

Officials say that the radiation levels are small enough that standing next to it for an hour would be less exposure than getting dental x-rays.

At 399 feet, the truck is longer than a football field and requires several “pusher trucks” behind it and "puller trucks" in front of it to move it along the streets. Each set of wheels on the trailer moves individually and it has a 70-foot turning radius.

The generator itself is suspended by steel cables and chains. Because the truck is so long, it will operate at night and be parked during the day.

The trucks are being protected by local police as well as armed guards, and the travel route is not specified for safety reasons. Today, August 2, however, the truck will be parked just east of Nordhal Road on Mission Road. Tonight it will move eastward.