Hearing Slated on A-Plant Pollutants

The Regional Water Quality Control Board, which on four occasions postponed a decision on whether the San Onofre nuclear power plant violates its federal pollutant discharge permit, agreed Monday to consider taking some action against the plant--but not right away.

The board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on Oct. 31 to determine whether the plant has violated its permit by killing ocean life, as a recent 15-year study has found, and to decide whether to take any action about potential violations.

If the board finds that the plant’s continued operation violates its permits, it could take action as soon as December, issuing a cease-and-desist order that could force the plant to change its ocean discharge cooling system.