2 Contaminated at Diablo

Two workers at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant were exposed to small amounts of radiation, a spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said. Both men were decontaminated and returned to work. “They were checking on piping and equipment,” PG&E; spokesman George Sarkisian said. “Both employees followed company procedures to decontaminate . . . . They both went back to work.” He said the men were in a controlled area and a checkup showed they got little more radiation than a background reading--normal atmospheric radiation. “These incidents are expected to occur during the routine operation of the plant,” Sarkisian said. “The pipes aren’t airtight or seal-proof.” The reactor and generator are closed for a two-week maintenance and inspection, part of the full-power testing of Unit 1 of the $5.3-billion twin-unit reactor.