Proof that Nuclear Plants and Populated Areas Can Coexist.. Great Beaches too
DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists
GO SIMON
Posted on 07/05/2002 6:50:09 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The San Onofre nuclear power plant returned its Unit 2 reactor to service this week, concluding a 43-day routine shutdown for refueling and maintenance, Southern California Edison said.
Operators at the plant started the reactor Tuesday, and it was running yesterday at 37 percent of power, said plant spokesman Ray Golden.
The reactor was expected to reach full power by Saturday, but it could be operating at capacity as early as today, he said.
Edison hired 1,400 contract workers, supplementing its own work force of 1,800, to perform numerous maintenance jobs during this latest shutdown.
Among them was a detailed inspection of the high pressure vessel that holds the reactor's nuclear fuel.
Earlier this year, the federal government ordered all nuclear power plants to inspect the steel vessels after workers at an Ohio plant discovered that corrosion at the lid of a vessel there had eaten nearly all the way inside – risking an explosion and release of radiation.
San Onofre found no problems on or inside the Unit 2 reactor vessel, Golden said. An inspection of the plant's other reactor vessel is scheduled for January.
Workers at the San Onofre plant also inspected the reactor's steam generator tubes, which are susceptible to cracking and denting with age. The workers repaired 170 tubes and plugged an additional 150 – fewer than they expected.
"It was a very challenging and complex undertaking," Golden said.
San Onofre intended to activate its Unit 2 reactor last Sunday, but a malfunction of steam bypass valves automatically shut the reactor down shortly after operators had started it. The glitch did not cause any damage or injuries, and the problem was fixed, Golden said.
The plant's twin reactors, which together produce 2,254 megawatts of electricity, are refueled every two years.
Bruce Lieberman: (619 )293-2836;
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GOOD!!!
STOP sucking the juice from ARIZONA!!!
Down over 8 Volts over the weekend!!
Yeah,
and he'll probably close it down just before leaving office...'for the good of the planet'.
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