Southern California Edison

SCE TO RESTART FUEL TRANSFERS AT SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR PLANT; WATCHDOG GROUP LEADER VOICES SAFETY CONCERNS

By Miriam Raftery

 

Photo: San Onofre beach and shuttered nuclear reactors

 

July 15, 2019 (San Onofre, CA) – Southern California Edison today announced that it will restart the transfer of spent nuclear fuel cannisters at the closed San Onofre nuclear power plant, after “rigorous regulatory, internal and third party readiness and operational reviews.”  


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SDG&E: FINAL SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR PLANT SETTLEMENT WILL REDUCE RATEPAYER BILLS STARTING IN NOVEMBER

 

 

East County News Service

August 4, 2018 (San Diego) -- The Settlement Agreement for issues and costs related to the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is final after San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE) and other parties notified the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that they accept the CPUC’s request to remove a provision that would have funded university-conducted greenhouse gas research. 


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ARIZONA REFUSES SPENT FUEL FROM SAN ONOFRE; DOCTOR’S GROUP CRITICIZES NUCLEAR WASTE SETTLEMENT PLAN

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: San Onofre nuclear facility, before its shutdown in 2013.

August 31, 2017 (San Diego) – Finding a safe place to store spent nuclear fuel from the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Stations is a daunting task. Yesterday, East County Magazine reported on a settlement reached between Citizens Oversight and Southern California Edison that aspires to move the radioactive waste away from the beach at San Onofre over the next couple of decades.

One of the proposed sites   is in Arizona. But now officials at Arizona Public Services Company, which operates the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix,  say they won’t take California’s nuclear wastes. 


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OIL INDUSTRY WAS BIGGEST SPENDER ON CALIFORNIA LOBBYING IN 2015


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NBC TV INVESTIGATION FINDS EVIDENCE OF RADIOACTIVE DEBRIS ON BEACH AT SAN ONOFRE; “SLOPPY” HANDLING OF NUCLEAR WASTES

 

By East County News Service

September 26, 2015 (San Diego) – An investigation by KNSD-TV Channel 7 , the NBC affiliate in San Diego, has dropped a bombshell regarding efforts to cover-up lax handling of nuclear waste and radiation leaks at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Stations.   Get the full report and the confidential documents here.  

NBC’s investigation found high radiation levels endangered Southern California employees in trailers, including radiation levels so alarming that  Nuclear Regulatory inspectors at times refused to perform routine radiation surveys. A contaminated steam generator taken from a reactor exposed workers for 10 days, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission report form 1981 revealed.

Hundreds of pieces of contaminated radioactive equipment were stored on both sides of Interstate 5, which bisects the San Onofre nuclear waste dump now under construction following shut-down of the facilities.  Some were openly exposed to weather.


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CPUC JUDGE FINDS 10 VIOLATIONS BY EDISON IN SAN ONOFRE CLOSURE DEAL

 

 

East County News Service

August 7, 2015 (San Diego) – Southern California Edison could face up to $34 million in sanctions for violating a ban on backdoor communications with state regulators over the San Onofre closure. Those are the findings of California Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge Melanie Darling, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Darling will determine on August 20th whether or nor to hold Edison in contempt.  Her ruling faults Edison executives Ronald Litzinger and Stephen Pickett for omitting facts from prior testimony about secret meetings with former CPUC chair Michael Peevey, including meetings at a posh hotel lin Poland.


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ASSEMBLYWOMAN GONZALEZ PROPOSES ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PUBLIC UTILITY EXECUTIVE BONUSES

 

AB 1266 Would Force Utilities to Receive Public Approval for Bonuses After Ratepayers Hit With Billions in New Costs

March 1, 2015 (Sacramento)--California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) introduced Assembly Bill 1266 on Friday to require public utilities to justify executive bonus compensation at a public hearing of the California Public Utilities Commission following any federal safety violation that results in a cost of $5 million or more to ratepayers.


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E-MAILS SHOW PG&E HAD UNDUE INFLUENCE WITH STATE REGULATORS

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CPUC Chair Michael Peevey

September 17, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) –Thousands of e-mails released this week reveal unethical back-channel communications between PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency that is supposed to regular public utilities. The e-mails reveal that PG&E was calling the shots as the public agency investigated PG&E mistakes leading up to the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, which killed 8 people and destroyed 38 homes.


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PLAN ANNOUNCED TO DISMANTLE SAN ONOFRE, BUT SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL TO REMAIN

 

August 5, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Southern California Edison has announced plans to dismantle the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Stations, which were decommissioned after radiation leaks, and restore the beach near the nuclear plants.


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"EDISON HATES SOLAR" VIDEO PARODY SPARKS THREAT OF LEGAL ACTION; LATINO GROUP KEEPS AIRING VIDEO, REFUSES TO BE INTIMIDATED



Group vows to continue fight for solar, reveals lobbying of Latino legislators by utilities industry



August 19, 2013 (Los Angeles)  In response to a letter written by Southern California Edison demanding that a parody video posted on the website www.SaveRooftopSolar.com be removed from YouTube, leaders of Presente.org have refused to remove the video. Instead, they vowed to continue their efforts of exposing Southern California Edison and other energy companies that have lobbied against solar panel initiatives throughout California.

These utility companies have targeted Latino legislators throughout the state in an attempt to abolish solar panel initiatives and to stop working class families from gaining access to this a major form of sustainable energy, the group said. The video titled "Edison hates rooftop solar" released by Presente.org and the Other98.com , satirizes Southern California Edison and the other companies who have taken part in these efforts.


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EDITORIAL: MAKE SHAREHOLDERS, NOT RATEPAYERS, PAY THE COST OF SAN ONOFRE FIASCO

 

By John Mattes, Much Better Choices

Who should pay for San Onofre fiasco? The answer is obvious. Shareholders collect dividends while ratepayers pay tens of millions of dollars a year for a defunct nuclear plant. It's time for the PUC to step up.

There may be lots of questions yet to be answered about Southern California Edison's permanent shutdown of its San Onofre nuclear plant, but here are a couple about which there's no doubt. Who's responsible? Edison, 100%. Accept no argument that it did the best it could in overseeing a $700-million generator replacement project, but accidents happen. This wasn't an accident: It was the product of what Edison claims was its rigorous oversight of contractors.


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SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR PLANT TO CLOSE PERMANENTLY

 

 

By Nadin Abbott

June 7, 2013 (San Onofre) – Southern California Edison (SCE) announced today that it will permanently decommission both reactors at its troubled Onofre nuclear generation plant.  (SCE has made this decision due to the uncertainty brought by the increased requirements for safety from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). 

“Looking ahead,” said Ron Litzinger, SCE’s President, “we think that our decision to retire the units will eliminate uncertainty and facilitate orderly planning for California’s energy future.” 

The nuclear waste on-site will remain there in dry cask storage—encased in stainless steel and concrete—until national leaders come up with a permanent storage solution, Patch.com reported.


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RENO DISPATCH: BREAKING NEWS: FEDERAL JUDGES SAY NO TO SAN ONOFRE REBOOT WITHOUT FORMAL HEARINGS

 

By Jamie Reno, originally posted May 13, 2013

May 18, 2013 (San Diego) – In a rather unexpected rejection of Southern California Edison’s efforts to restart the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant north of San Diego, the Atomic Safety Licensing Board (ASLB) ruled today that the two reactors can not go back online before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) holds a formal license amendment proceeding with full public participation.

A three-judge panel of the ASLB granted a petition from Friends of the Earth, an environmental organization, asking the NRC to require Edison to undergo a license amendment process before a judge, including public hearings, sworn testimony from expert witnesses and rules of evidence.


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BILL WOULD LET ENERGY COMPANIES REMOVE NESTS AND EGGS, EXEMPT COMPANIES FROM PENALTIES FOR KILLING EAGLES, HAWKS AND OTHER RAPTORS

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 9, 2013 (Sacramento)—Wildlife experts are reacting with outrage to AB  516, a bill in the California Legislature that would  allow energy and utility companies to obtain “take” permits authorizing destruction of birds, eggs and nest that stand in the way of electrical transmission infrastructure. 

SDG&E  was caught flying helicopters too close to protected eagle nests at least four times during construction of Sunrise Powerlink.  Those incursions in three East County locations resulted in removal of one pilot and suspension of others, as well as grounding, GPS tracking and other regulatory enforcement actions. But if this bill goes through, such activities could occur without penalty in the future.


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AGUIRRE ACCUSES EDISON OF SCHEMING TO IMPOSE RATE HIKES WITHOUT PUBLIC REVIEW TO PAY FOR FAILED SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR REACTORS

 

February 12, 2013 (San Diego)--This morning, ratepayer advocate and former San Diego City Attorney Michael J. Aguirre revealed details behind a new legal action against Southern California Edison (SCE) with what he terms “smoking gun documents showing how SCE executives have unlawfully levied multiple rate hikes on San Diego and Southern California ratepayers without formal approval from regulators.”

Aguirre is demanding refunds from Southern California Edison and SDG&E for ratepayers in our region, which is home to the highest electric rates in the USA.


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SABOTAGE SUSPECTED AT SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Despite disturbing finding, Edison seeks to restart trouble-prone nuclear facility

Hearing Nov. 30 in Laguna Hills as nine cities voice concerns over safety issues

By Miriam Raftery

November 30, 2012 (San Diego)—Southern California Edison has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of possible sabotage at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating facility, after finding coolant poured in the oil reservoir of an emergency backup generator at Unit 3, Energy News reports.

The FBI is taking over the investigation and criminal charges are possible, according to a plant employee who spoke under condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals, Huffington Post reported yesterday. The NRC has confirmed that Edison reported potential sabotage,Energy News reported.

"The FBI is aware of the alleged security incident that occurred at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating (SONGS) Station.  The FBI is presently reviewing the facts and circumstances concerning this incident," Special agent Darrell Foxworth with the FBI told ECM. "At this time there is no indication that this incident is terrorism related."

Previous news stories have speculated that a disgruntled employee could be the culprit due to recent layoff announcements.

Failure of emergency generators at Fukushima were key factors in that plant’s meltdown last year.  A meltdown at San Onofre would force evacuation of San Diego, portions of East County and also parts of Orange and Riverside counties and could potentially leave the region contaminated for generations.


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NRC TO HEAR CITIZENS OVERSIGHT ARGUMENTS ON LICENSURE AMENDMENT FOR SAN ONOFRE DEC. 5

November 26, 2012 (Washington D.C.)-- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (NRC) has ordered that oral arguments be heard at 1:00 pm EST on Wednesday, December 5 from Citizens' Oversight (COPS) and Southern California Edison (SCE) regarding a license amendment request by SCE for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.


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ACTIVISTS CALL NRC RULING "DANGEROUS COVERUP"

 
August 18, 2012 (San Onofre)—Last month’s announcement by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stating that Southern California Edison (SCE) had complied will all regulations is yet another dangerous case of regulators looking the other way coupled with gutted unsafe regulations, according to local activist groups, including Residents Organized for a Safe Environment (ROSE), Citizens' Oversight, and the Peace Resource Center of San Diego.

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NUCLEAR DISASTER SURVIVORS AND EAST COUNTY RESIDENTS JOIN PROTEST AT SAN ONOFRE

 
By Nadin Abbott
 
May 3, 2012 (San Onofre)—Residents from across Southern California and as far away as Japan turned out for a protest at San Onofre this week to call for a permanent shut down of  nuclear reactors which have been offline since January 31 amid growing safety concerns following a steam leakage and discovery of cracked tubes. 
 
Yesterday, however Southern California Edison however announced its intent to bring the facilities back online by mid-June, if the Nuclear Regulary Commission grants approval. 

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ENERGY WATCHDOGS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS REACT TO SAN ONOFRE VISIT BY NRC CHAIR

 
Citizens urged to demand transparent and thorough investigation of “urgent safety problems”

April 6, 2012 (San Onofre)--Washington, D.C. and San Clemente, Calif. – The ongoing crisis at the troubled San Onofre nuclear reactors entered a new phase today, as Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Gregory Jaczko announced he will visit the plant this Friday, April 6. Concerned organizations and community members reacted by demanding Jaczko announce a new policy of openness and require a full determination of what went wrong. 

The two nuclear reactors at San Onofre, operated by Southern California Edison, have been shut down for more than two months following a radiation leak and the discovery of severely damaged equipment. Tubes in all four, new steam generators at both San Onofre reactors showed significant deterioration, which could lead to a serious release of radioactivity in the event of rupture. 

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SDG&E LAUNCHES “GREEN BUTTON” CUSTOMER ENERGY USAGE DATA TOOL

 
New online tool provides customers with easy access to energy use data


January 20, 2012 (San Diego) – Today San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced the launch of the “Green Button,” a new tool that will provide customers with easy access to their energy usage data.

 


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DOE GIVES $700,000 ROOFTOP SOLAR CHALLENGE AWARD TO CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY


Project to streamline and standardize procedures and permitting for solar energy systems throughout Southern California
 
December 17, 2011 (San Diego) --  As part of the Department of Energy’s $12 million Rooftop Solar Challenge, the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) was awarded $700,000 to lead a team of 11 jurisdictions and five utilities across Southern California to streamline and standardize the installation of solar systems. The regional team will develop guidelines for expedient and uniform permitting and connection of rooftop solar aimed at reducing the cost of solar installations and making solar cost-competitive with other energy sources.

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