Failure Shuts San Onofre Reactor

A reactor at the San Onofre nuclear power complex was shut down Thursday evening when a valve that regulates water to a steam generator failed, utility officials said.

Southern California Edison spokesman Ray Golden said the breakdown occurred away from the nuclear reactor and that there were no injuries, radiation leaks or power disruptions.

The failure was caused by a faulty electrical component that helps the valve operate properly, Golden said.

The reactor, known as San Onofre Unit 3, was operating at 97% power at the time of the breakdown. The unit is expected to remain shut down until repairs are completed during the weekend, he said.

Breck Henderson, spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said the breakdown was not a cause for concern.

“We have inspectors at the site, and they reported the problem was handled properly,” Henderson said. “This is just a common, routine thing. It happens a lot less frequently than it used to, but it’s not an uncommon occurrence.”

Although the breakdown left only the Unit 2 reactor operating--Unit 1 has been shut down--Edison officials said customers were not affected.

“Other power plants made up for the loss of electricity,” Golden said. “We always have a backup.”

The affected reactor had been turned on May 10 after a 42-day shutdown for scheduled maintenance, he said.