nuclear-news

More unusual wear found in San Onofre nuclear plant

Additional tube wear found at troubled San Onofre nuclear plant on California coast Washington Post, By Associated Press, April 12 LOS ANGELES — The operator of an idled nuclear plant on the California coast announced Thursday that more unusual wear has been found on tubing that carries radioactive water, the latest disclosure in an ongoing mystery involving the plant’s steam generators.
Southern California Edison said in a statement that investigators at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station found additional wear in its Unit 2 generators that is similar to degradation in its sister reactor, Unit 3, though at a lower level…….

The new findings show “all of the generators are exhibiting the same kind of wear, though the wear in unit 3 is more excessive than in Unit 2,” Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Victor Dricks said.

The twin-reactor plant has been shut down for more than two months while federal regulators and company officials try to find out why tubing designed to withstand many years of use under high pressure has been quickly wearing away……..
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/additional-tube-wear-found-at-troubled-san-onofre-nuclear-plant-on-california-coast/2012/04/12/gIQAWEx8CT_story.html

April 13, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA