NRC Gives San Onofre an A-/B+ Rating

A “report card” released Monday by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission gives the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station an overall A-/B+ rating on a range of issues including plant operations, maintenance and technical support.

“Overall it’s a very good report card,” said Steve Conroy, a spokesman for the Southern California Edison Co., which owns and operates the plant.

The performance evaluation--covering December, 1992, to June, 1994--is one of a series of evaluations issued by the regulatory commission every few years based on observations and data collected over time. In the evaluations, nuclear plants are rated on a scale of 1 to 3--with 1 being best--in several categories.

In the most recent evaluation, the San Onofre plant received 1 ratings in the areas of plant operations and plant support, with 2 ratings on maintenance/surveillance and engineering/technical support.

Overall the plant received a 1.5 rating, described as being between an A- and B+. The rating was slightly worse than its 1991 rating of 1.43, but better than the region’s average plant rating of 1.76.

“On average it’s a little bit lower” than last year’s evaluation, Conroy said, “but this is a solid report card for us.”