Area watchdogs sued to block the expansion, citing public health and safety concerns over spent fuel storage on a fault line near both the Pacific Ocean and a major interstate. The case was settled in August, with SCE allowed to move the waste to its ISFSI while it takes steps to find an off-site location for the used fuel. In the settlement, SCE agreed to formally request the owners of the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona to take the waste. Edison has a 15 percent stake in the company, but primary owner Arizona Public Service said the plant would not accept the SONGS waste, citing NRC licensing issues. Physical decommissioning of SONGS facilities is expected to begin by the end of 2018 and will take about 10 years to complete. It is projected to cost $4.4 billion, which would cover disposition of spent fuel, radiological cleanup, and site restoration, according to AECOM, which is teaming with EnergySolutions as general contractor for SONGS' decommissioning.