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San Onofre : Unit Started Despite Problems With Bolts

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The San Onofre nuclear power plant’s Unit 1 was started up Thursday morning despite damage to bolts that hold an important thermal shield, a Southern California Edison Co. spokesman said.

The plant received the go-ahead from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission earlier this month after the commission said it had determined that the damage would not affect safe operation of the reactor.

Three bolts out of 30 holding down the thermal shield were discovered to be partly unscrewed earlier this year and others appear to be damaged.

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The thermal shield, a 2 1/2-inch-thick cylinder that absorbs gamma rays from the nuclear core, rests on six supporting blocks and is linked to the reactor floor by the 30 bolts.

The utility will inspect the thermal shield in June, 1990, to see if repairs are needed, the spokesman said. At the latest, the repairs will be made about January, 1991, when the reactor is to be again shut down for servicing.

Edison officials have said they want to delay replacing or repairing the bolts because all of the fuel would have to be removed from the reactor at a time when storage space for spent fuel is scarce.

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