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>> >>: IN YESTERDAY'S VERY TECHNICAL HEARING THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DEMANDED
AN AL ANALYSIS OF SAFETY MONITORING TOOLS BEFORE ALLOWING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON
TO RESTART A PORTION OF THE SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AT PARTIAL POWER.
SAN ONOFRE HAS BEEN IED FRL NEARLY A YEAR AFTER DAMAGED GENERATOR TUBES CAUSE AD SMALL
RADIATION LEAK. JOINING ME WITH WHAT'S AT STAKE, IS MARTHA
SULLIVAN, FORMER STAFF MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION AND NOW A SIT
CITIZEN ACTIVIST. YOU'VE ATTENDED NUMEROUS HEARINGS AND PROTESTS
AND MONITORED YESTERDAY MEETING ONLINE IN MARYLAND.
WHAT IS THE NRC'S MAJOR CONCERN? >> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: WELL, I WOULD SAY I
MEAN THE NRC'S MAJOR CONCERN IS SAFETY. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TASKED WITH.
THEY'RE TASKED WITH THE SAFETY OF OUR NUCLEAR FACILITY.
I WILL ALSO SAY FROM MY LONG EXPERIENCE THAT THE NRC IS VERY CONCERNED WITH PROTECTING
OUR NATION'S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY. THAT'S A PRIMARY CONCERN OF THEIRS AS WELL.
>> >>PEGGY: SAFETY OF SAN ONOFRE AND PROTECTION OF THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY.
OKAY, HOW ARE THE NRC'S CONCERN F ESPECIALLY LAST NIGHT THE SAFETY CONCERNS, ALIGNING WITH
PUBLIC OPINION AND AS FAR AS YOUR CONCERNED? >> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: THIS IS VERY INTERESTING
BECAUSE THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, THE LAST TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS THE NRC HAS HELD WHICH HAVE
BEEN MORE TECHNICAL REVIEW MEETINGS, THE NRC HAS ASKED QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED
BY CITIZEN ADVOCATES FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF HEART NG THEY SEEM TO BE SORT OF PAYING ATTENTION.
MAYBE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOT SOME COVER SINCE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, US ON THE OUTSIDE
REALLY PRESSURING AND REALLY PUSHING THE NRC TO DO A THEER THOROUGH IM PARTIAL REVIEW.
>> >>PEGGY: SPEAK OF EDISON, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON WHO OPERATES THE PLANT HAS AGAIN REFUSED
OUR REQUEST TO BE INTERVIEWED BUT SENT A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART SAFETY REMAINS OUR TOP PRIORITY.
SO THEY ALSO SAY THAT AS WELL IN THE MEAN TIME THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IS INVESTIGATING EDISON'S COST TO RATE PAYERS WHO ARE STILL BEING CHARGED FOR THIS POWER
EVEN THOUGH THE PLANT HAS BEEN OFF LINE SINCE JANUARY.
>> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: THAT'S CORRECT. >> >>PEGGY: OF LAST YEAR.
>> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: THAT'S CORRECT. >> >>PEGGY: WHERE DOES THAT STAND NOW AS FAR
AS THE CPUÊ THE T THE CPUC HAS OPENED ITS OWN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IDLING OF SAN ONOFRE,
SINCE LAST JANUARY. THE CPUC'S CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE IS TO GUARANTEE
SAFE AND RELIABLE ELECTRIC SERVICE AT REASONABLE RATES.
THAT'S THE CORE OF THEIR INVESTIGATION, ALTHOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE ANY JURISDICTION OVER NUCLEAR
SAFETY. THEY STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AND RELIABLE
SERVICES ASPECTS. THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON REASONABLE RATES.
AS YOU POINTED OUT, WE BASICALLY ARE UP TO A BILLION DOLLARS WE SPENT ON THESE STEAM
GENERATORS THAT EDISON REPLACED. >> >>PEGGY: LET ME JUST BRING THAT UP.
SAN ONOFRE STEAM GENERATORS WERE ACTUALLY OVERHAULEDÊ IN N CLUING THE PROBLEMATIC ONES,
UNIT TWO AND THREE AT A COST OF 670ÊMILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT MONEY WAS SPENT TO NO AVAIL, IT SEEMS. HOW MUCH OF IT IS EXPECTED TO COST TO GET
SAN ONOFRE WORK AGAIN INCLUDING THOSE TWO UNITS?
>> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: THAT'S STILL KIND OF A BIG MYSTERY BECAUSE EDISON HAS PROPOSED
A RESTART TO THE NRC, BUT THE NRC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS OR RATES.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT EDISON HAS ADMITTED THAT IT'S SPENT, YOU KNOW, GOING ON $400ÊMILLION
THIS YEAR IN ADDITION TO THE ALMOST $700ÊMILLION THEY PAY TO REPLACE THESE STEAM GENERATORS.
THEY'VE SPENT 400ÊMILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR BECAUSE THE STEAM GENERATORS FAILED.
>> >>PEGGY: UM, SAN ONOFRE EDISON SAYS IS THE LARGEST VOLTAGE SUPPORT IN THE REGION
AND THEY CALL IT QUOTE CRITICAL TO THE STATE'S ENERGY NEEDS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PLACE THAT CAN GENERATE THAT KIND OF ENERGY FOR US?
>> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: THE CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR DOESN'T AGREE WITH EDISON
BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY PLANNING TOÊ THEY'RE PLANNING FOR 2013 WITHOUT SAN ONOFRE AND THEY'VE
ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE RETIRED HUNTINGTON BEACH POWER PLANT NOT TO RUN TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY,
BUT TO OPERATE AS WHAT'S CALLED A SYNCHRONIZED CONDENSER TO PROVIDE THAT VOLTAGE SUPPORT.
THERE'S PLENTY OF WAYS TO PROVIDE WHAT SAN ONOFRE DID IN A MUCH SAFER, MORE RELIABLE,
LESS COSTLY WAY. >> >>PEGGY: MARTHA SULLIVAN, THANK YOU FOR
TALKING WITH US TONIGHT. >> >>MARTHA SULLIVAN: THANK YOU, PEGGY.