The Region : Radioactive Water Sprays on Plant Crew

Five workers at the San Onofre nuclear power plant were contaminated by radioactive reactor coolant water when a valve they were attempting to open sprang a leak and began spraying the men, officials said. David Barron, a spokesman for plant operator Southern California Edison, said all of the workers were decontaminated and none suffered exposure above regulatory limits. The incident occurred as the workers were opening a valve as part of refueling operations at the power plant’s Unit 2 reactor. The reactor had been taken out of service for scheduled refueling after a 15-month operating cycle. Barron said packing material around the valve failed as two of the men attempted to open it. Water that leaked from the valve was funneled from the containment building to the plant’s processing facilities, Barron said, adding that there was no release of radiation “to the environment” above regulatory limits. The men were showered down and scrubbed. Barron said the incident was reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Plant officials were not forced to enact any emergency procedures because of the incident, he said.