Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Mayor of San Diego: San Onofre Nuke Plant Re-Start = Dangerous Experiment


LETTER FROM BOB FILNER, MAYOR OF SAN DIEGO, TO NRC REGARDING SAN ONOFRE RESTART PLAN



Bob Filner: San Onofre Nuke Plant Re-Start = Dangerous Experiment - YouTube |
myla reson - YouTube

 The mayor's letter was read into the record at the NRC Public Meeting on February 12



Here is the text of the February 8, 2013 letter San Diego, Califonia Mayor Bob Filner sent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding Southern California Edison's San Onofre nuclear power plant:

Dear Commissioners:

I write this letter in regards to Southern California Edison's (SCE) request for permission from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to restart the Unit 2 nuclear reactor at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) for 5 months at 70% power to determine if the same problems that caused the failure of the steam generator in Unit 3 on January 31, 2012 will reoccur.

The NRC has previously determined that both Unit 2 and Unit 3 steam generators had similar serious design flaws and errors in the computer models used for design. The restart of Unit 2, even at reduced power, is a dangerous experiment that threatens the safety of the 8.2 million Southern California residents living within a 50-mile radius, including much of San Diego.

Any decision on the potential restart of Unit 2 should be preceded by a public, transparent license amendment hearing before the NRC, with sworn testimony by experts who support or oppose the restart, so that all impacted residents can understand the risks involved.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is investigating the customer rate charges associated with the year-long shutdown of SONGS. Any decision to restart Unit 2 should consider public safety first, but also the high cost to consumers for reduced power generation of 700 mW versus the 2200 mW when SONGS was fully operative.

Attorney General Kamala Harris has filed as an intervenor in the CPUC hearing, and any decision to restart SONGS at any level should consider the reliability and costs compared to a future based on alternatives, including efficiency, load management, demand response, renewable energy, and energy storage. I urge you not to authorize the restart of SONGS until both a full license amendment hearing has been conducted by the NRC and the CPUC finishes its investigation.

If you have any questions, feel free to call on me or Dr. Rob Wilder, my Public Advocate for Energy and Climate Sustainability, at 619-236-6330.

Sincerely,

BOB FILNER
Mayor, San Diego, California 

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