California nuclear plant shut indefinitely amid hunt to find cause of problems

[SunSeeker]

Source: CNN

A large Southern California nuclear plant is out of commission indefinitely, and will remain so until there is an understanding of what caused problems at two of its generators and an effective plan to address the issues, the nation's top nuclear regulator said Friday.

The power plant has been shut down since this winter, when a small amount of radioactive gas escaped from a steam generator during a water leak. At the time, federal regulators said there was no threat to public health, though they could not identify how much gas leaked or exactly why it had happened.

Each of the 65-foot-tall, 640-ton generators -- built by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -- are packed with thousands of narrow tubes that carry hot, pressurized water from the reactors. The heat produces steam in a separate loop that drives the plant's turbines and generators.

Located near San Clemente, the San Onofre nuclear plant's twin reactors are "Southern California's largest and most reliable sources of electricity," according to Southern California Edison's website. When operational, the facility -- which is owned by that utility, San Diego Gas and Electric, and the city of Riverside -- supplies power for 1.4 million households at any given time.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/06/us/california-nuclear-plant/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

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I hope this blight on the most beautiful surf spot in So. Cal. is shut down forever. And this is the first I've heard mention of it being built by Japan's Mitsubishi. Gee, what could go wrong?

[tabatha]

1. I hope it is shut down too.

Radiation Monitoring
There is limited monitoring of radiation in the air, milk and water in California. And public access to the data is limited. Near real time radiation levels close to San Onofre are not available to the public. See California Radiation Monitors map.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides near real time radiation monitoring information to the public on their RADNET website.

They do not have a radiation monitor within about 50 miles of the San Onofre nuclear plant. The closest monitors are in San Diego and Anaheim.

They have refused our requests to add a monitor in San Clemente.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District operates three of the regional sites for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA provides inadequate radiation monitoring and attempts are being made to lower EPA radiation safety standards.

See Dan Hirsch’s 10/31/2011 presentation to the EPA Concerns Regarding Radiation Protection Standards in a Post-Fukushima Era. The section about inadequate EPA monitoring starts on Slide 71.

Glitches hampered radiation warning system in California - Half of the 12 EPA detectors in California had problems that could delay alerts – LA Times 3/25/2011

http://sanonofresafety.org/radiation-monitoring/

[bvdsfd89safg]

2. Spam deleted by William769 (MIR Team)

[SleeplessinSoCal]

3. The big breasts are leaking?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://aaenvironment.com/SanOnofre.htm&h=400&w=500&sz=83&tbnid=9uRZqlUdJqLd8M:&tbnh=91&tbnw=114&zoom=1&docid=e7em6nwizlJuLM&sa=X&ei=T79_T8y0CMqPiAK3rtDxAg&ved=0CE8Q9QEwAQ&dur=588

[lovuian]

4. Has anybody noticed how many Nuclear plants in America

have been shutdown lately

Not that I'm complaining but it seems lately since Fukishima
we have had quite a few

[happerbolic]

5. even more than that....

... the picture here was taken over water, of course - good pristine beach area very near trestles (san onofre state beach) and everything east of the 5 freeway (other side of what you see here) for 30 mi. is one of the countries largest Marine Corp. bases in the nation; Camp Pendelton.
Bet the parents of some of those young soldiers are receiving a little awakening from this news.
My sister in law got a part time job for the plant, manning the telephone switchboards around the holidays because they were supposedly understaffed and were preparing for some kind of onslaught of calls - no excuse here for any season driven calls, the weather here is mild all year long. And then 2 weeks later... came the report of the 'accidental' radiation leak .....

[Left Coast2020]

6. All I can say is its about damn time.

I used to work for a communications company in the late 90's in Western Washington state. There is a nuke plant near Aberdeen that was idle long before I arrived there. I think the town is Montasano? Someone here should know. When I first saw it, I had an errie feeling in my stomach. But nice to know it was "mothballed."

[bahrbearian]

8. Satsop Nuclear plant was never completed. Part of Washinton WHooPs

Article from 1983 http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,955183,00.html

[Overseas]

7. K&R. Yes please!

[Cleita]

9. Thank God. Now we need to get them to shut down El Diablo and

go to alternative energy. We should be able to avoid a Fukushima here if we do that. Governor Brown, are you reading this? Both plants are not built to withstand an earthquake the size of the Japanese earthquake. We will also be subject to tsunamis as both plants are on the beach.

[RobertEarl]

10. Caught it in time, whew that was close

And note that there are no stories of power shortages?

Is this plant even needed?

But..... if the plant is never restarted how much $$ will the decommissioning take and how will it be paid for? Seems it takes 10- 20 years to 'switch' off one of the nukes and another 100 years before it can be dismantled. Are we just going to dish that cost off on our kids?

My God what a mess.

[Trillo]

11. Was it "just in time", or has there been a coverup?

I received the following email last night from an area toxicologist who has been involved with efforts to shut down the San Onofre nuclear plant for some time and have no reason to doubt the facts of Mr. Johnson’s letter.

...

Dear City Council Members and City Manager Ott,

Residents of San Clemente flew two citizens of Miyagi Prefecture near Fukushima Japan, to San Clemente this past Saturday for a public presentation to warn Californians about the horrors of nuclear power plant disasters.

The Japanese guests took their Geiger counters down to the crowded public beach in downtown San Clemente and found levels of radioactivity in the sand equal to those found on the beach in Miyagi Prefecture (near Fukushima) where children are developing tumors and cancer. This was yesterday here in Southern California! They also tested the inside of a home they were staying at in San Clemente and found radiation levels equal to those in their own homes in Miyagi Prefecture Japan!

more...

Not much more at the link

[RobertEarl]

12. If truth be told....

People, just about everyone, would be demanding all the radiating time-bombs be gently and carefully closed down, dismantled, and effectively quarantined.

But since the truth may never be told by those who profit from the continued radiation producing time-bombs, we who know better are forced to chip away at their facade.

I sure hope we can get it done in time.