San Onofre Draws Concerns, Praise at Forum

A public forum Thursday about a soon-to-be-dismantled nuclear plant near San Clemente drew about 75 people, some of whom raised questions about safety, others who praised the record of the Southern California Edison plant.

The meeting was organized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to inform the public about accelerated plans to take apart the long-mothballed Unit I at San Onofre. If current plans are approved, work could begin next year to disassemble the plant and ship radioactive equipment to waste sites across the country. The reactor vessel, for instance, probably would be taken to a site in Barnwell, S.C.

Thursday’s speakers split into two distinct camps.

“It seems like there’s really been more questions raised than answered,” said Marion Pack of Norco, speaking for the anti-nuclear group Alliance for Survival.

Addressing Edison and federal officials, she said: “Many times you’ve said, ‘We don’t know the processes that will be used.’ ”

Dena Naylor of San Clemente, who described herself as a longtime employee of the plant, said: “I have utmost confidence in San Onofre and the work that goes on there.”

Five commercial nuclear plants have been decommissioned to date. Work is underway at another five. Although the technology to disassemble is relatively new, Edison is assuring the public that it is safe and will not cause radioactive leaks or other problems.

Edison officials estimate that about 75,000 cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste will be removed and shipped. They said they have shipped about 500 cubic feet of waste annually in recent years without a transportation accident.

Some critics question where radioactive waste from this and other plants will be stored permanently, especially since efforts to create new storage sites have been stalled by protests and safety questions.

Unit I and two other reactors known as the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station are on a thin strip of land between Interstate 5 and the ocean. The plants are just south of San Clemente and west of Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.

Only last week did the news become public that Edison plans to dismantle Unit I next year, rather than waiting until 2013 as the company had originally planned.

Edison officials say they moved up the project because the work--estimated at $460 million--will cost less now and because the company has the money available. The funds were collected from ratepayers in a special fee for decades, and electric rates are not anticipated to rise to pay for decommissioning.

The utility also hopes to use the expertise of workers long familiar with the plant before those workers retire.

Unit I started operating in 1967, making it California’s oldest commercial reactor. It was shut down in 1992, plagued by growing inefficiency and the need for high-priced improvements. Edison owns 80% of the plant, while San Diego Gas & Electric Co. owns the remaining 20%.

Two more powerful units II and III opened near Unit I in the early 1980s and are expected to operate until 2013 or later.

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Closing a Reactor

Decommissioning San Onofre’s Unit 1 nuclear reactor requires Southern California Edison to dismantle the plant, dispose of the radioactive waste and return the site to its original state. A closer look at the reactor:

Fuel handling building

Inside: Spent fuel pool, rods

Radiation: High level

Destination: Nevada facility possibly opening by 2010

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Containment dome

Inside: Reactor core, steam generator

Radiation: Low level

Destination: South Carolina waste facility

4-foot-thick reinforced concrete wall - mostly non-radioactive

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Turbine deck

Inside: Turbine, generator

Radiation: None

Destination: Area landfill

Source: Nuclear Regulatory Commission;Ray Golden, Southern California Edison

Graphics reporting by BRADY MacDONALD / Los Angeles Times