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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