The State : NRC Levies A-Plant Fine

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has levied a $150,000 fine against Southern California Edison Co. for violations of safety requirements at the San Onofre nuclear power plant. The utility company said it will pay the penalty without protest and is in the process of correcting the “environmental qualification” violations in secondary support equipment and safety related equipment at the plant’s Unit 1 reactor. “We consider it a significant fine,” NRC spokesman Greg Cook said, “but at the same time, we are not saying that any of the important systems in the plant would not function.” Cook added that “environmental qualification” is a relatively new area of inspection and enforcement. Edison spokesman David Barron said Unit 1, which was shut down earlier in the year for maintenance work, would not go back into operation until the repairs are completed in a month or so.