Politics & Government

Council Urges Regulators to Investigate Nuke Plant

At the request of anti-nuclear power groups, the San Clemente City Council will send a letter urging the California Public Utilities Commission to investigate the problems at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

The San Clemente City Council responded to a push by local anti-nuclear groups to urge regulators to take a closer look at the embattled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

, elected officials and a , the California Public Utilities Commission may weigh in on financial implications of fixing technical problems at the troubled plant.

Councilwoman Lori Donchak put the letter on the agenda last-minute it was the last council meeting before the CPUC's Aug. 2 meeting.

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City Council will send a brief letter urging the the CPUC -- which acts as a ratepayer and power reliability advocate in the state -- to commence their investigation into the economic implications of the necessary shutdown and repairs at the San Onofre station.

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pointed out that the CPUC already shuttered one of the reactors at San Onofre.

"You may have forgotten, but Unit 1 was closed in 1991 by the CPUC because it was determined it wasn't cost effective to do any more repairs on it," he said.

The council will also invite the new NRC Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane to visit San Clemente and reiterate concerns about the tons of nuclear waste stored on-site at the plant.

Some council members objected to the strongly-worded draft letter provided for them to sign off on. It contained allegations of misdirection by Edison and other assertions that councilmen Jim Dahl, Bob Baker and Tim Brown said they didn't feel comfortable endorsing.

Baker, as he has said concerning the plant over the last few years, that he was "against telling experts how to do their job," but ultimately joined the unanimous vote to send the revised letter. He said he was certain there would be exhaustive investigation already by attorneys for Southern California Edison, faulty steam generator manufacturer Mitsubishi and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"It seems to me we have banks of attorneys on both sides of this issue sharpening their swords and getting ready to do battle," Baker said. "We're telling people to do what they're already trying to do. This is beating a dead horse. Anyone within arms' length of the nuclear power issue knows there are problems at San Onofre."

For hundreds of articles arranged by date providing a comprehensive history of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station over the past few years, visit our Patch topic page.


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