Comments on: Nuclear plant ‘whistleblowers’ complain of retaliation

By: Gary Ryder

Gary Ryder — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:53:35 +0000

I worked there for years. I had a few harsh words for my supervisors when I saw that they were more into cocaine than doing a good job.

They made life as uncomfortable for me as possible. When that failed to get me to quit they fired me on false grounds. I won the litigation that fallowed but I never returned to work there. Looking back I’d have to say it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

By: Dana mnaley

Dana mnaley — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:34:09 +0000

You won’t find the 1968 leak in any records. Only the report to the DOD and DOE, oh and the non destroyed interrogatory original copy of that report. Very interesting reading. Testing on welfare kids? For shame! That document is gone now, as it should have been originally. The public would —- a brick. I found myself in it though. Now I only worry about a tsunami or a terrorist act. Other wise even with all of it’s risk it’s still the best deal out there.
Unless they start grinding up all the spent rods and selling them to China to use in paint on toys imported to America?
The pink jumpsuits will protect you! Honest!
LOL!

By: In the dark

In the dark — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:19:36 +0000

I was being sarcastic
The sun doesnt shine nor does the wind blow
And if you follow these Green wackos they would want us all in the dark!

By: Shirley Vaine

Shirley Vaine — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:29:34 +0000

STEAM GENERATOR REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE POSTPONED UNTIL SCE AND PROVE IT CAN OPERATE TWO QUARTERS WITHOUT PROBLEMS
The SONGS Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility has requested that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stay cutting 28 foot by 28 foot holes in the containments of its aging reactors. The Alliance also requested that Senators Boxer and Feinstein and Senator Kehoe and Assemblywoman Saldana investigate these concerns.
History
September 2009 – At approximately 1730 PDT, Southern California Edison was notified by a metal recycling vendor that a metal recycle load that was picked up at SONGS had been rejected at Terminal Island (Long Beach, CA) because it set off a radiation portal monitor as it was being processed through. The vendor (Alpert and Alpert) was requested to immediately ship the material back to SONGS. The County of Los Angeles Public Health, Radiation Management Division (Joji Ortego) called to confirm final destination, and a Special DOT Permit was issued to return the shipment to SONGS. (see Feb 2006)
September 2009 – Inspectors in Japan detect “weld defects” inside two massive steam generators being built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for installation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
August 2009 – Southern California Edison changes maintenance contractors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, but retains its current maintenance contractor to cut holes in containment for both reactors and complete the steam generator replacement project.
July 2009 – United States Geological Study discloses that the San Onofre Beach is eroding at an average rate of close to 2 meters per year.
July 2009 – California’s State Lands Commission proposes phasing out SONGS use of millions of gallons of sea water per XX by 2020 (two years before its current license expires)
May 2009 – Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility request that the NRC stay the steam generator replacement project until SCE is proven it can operate two quarters without problems identified in March 2009.
March 2009 – NRC issues report citing “substantive cross-cutting issues were identified in human performance and problem identification and resolution. We conducted a public meeting following the Midcycle Assessment to discuss your improvement initiatives in both areas. The effectiveness of your initiatives have not been evident and this annual assessment is the third cycle where substantive cross-cutting issues were identified in human performance and problem performance and problem identification and resolution.

January 2008 – Failure of San Onofre nuclear plant generator probed. Federal inspectors are investigating the failure of an emergency generator at SONGS during the last three tests in late December.

January 2008 – Seven workers SONGS have been disciplined or fired in connection with a rash of safety and security problems uncovered by federal regulators last year.

November 2008 – The California Energy Commission recommends: SCE should review the tsunami hazard at their nuclear plants in light of recent research and improved scientific understanding of tsunamis. SCE should assess SONGS’ tsunami vulnerability after new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the SONGS site and adjacent coastal areas become available. SCE should also assess the relevance of the University of Southern California second‐generation tsunami run‐up maps for the tsunami hazards at their nuclear plant sites.

August 2007 – A man sleeping in a train car slips into the San Onofre nuclear station

February 2006 – A radioactive waste-disposal tanker transporting 4,500 gallons of wastewater from the San Onofre Power Plant leaked in Utah while en route to a disposal site.

November 2006 – Nuclear workers at San Onofre allege that safety data were falsified. The utility will pay millions for abuses designed to draw bonuses.

August 18, 2006 – discovery of tritium-laced water under the San Onofre nuclear plant highlights a widening pollution controversy.

July 2006- A report by the California Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Protection and Safety Division found that Edison “falsified and manipulated customer satisfaction data and survey results” and that Edison managers “requested doctors not to provide treatment to employees whose treatments would be reportable under the (performance-based program.)”

August 2005 – More than 5 tons of anchovies met an untimely end at the San Onofre nuclear power plant
July 27, 2005 – A maintenance engineer at the San Onofre nuclear power plant will undergo a 30-day alcohol rehabilitation program after recent blood tests confirmed he failed a Breathalyzer test, a plant spokesman said Monday. The incident at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station marked the fifth time in one year that plant supervisors failed blood, urine or alcohol breath tests.
July 2004 – SCE [Southern California Edison] reported that personnel were tightening two seismic restraint bolts on Advanced Horizontal Storage Module (AHSM) Number 10 at the Unit 1 ISFSI [Independent Fuel Storage Installation] when one of the bolts failed.

For these reasons please request that Senator Boxer investigate the NRC’s identified problems and recommend that the steam generator project be held until this issues have been demonstrated to have been resolved. Please copy and paste here: https://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm
And please support the Alliance efforts by signing up for our newsletters and alerts and making a donation to ensure the public has a voice in oversight proceedings (www.a4nr.org)

And please support the Alliance efforts by signing up for our newsletters and alerts and making a donation to ensure the public has a voice in oversight proceedings (www.a4nr.org)

SCE cut one hole already. Highly radioactive waste continues to sit on site. No speaks of the worst American Nuclear plant melt down was in Simi Valley,CA. Common sense Old nuke technology is not safe or good for anything. California could be energy free,if the $$$would go into Solar & Wind, with no decontamination center necessary.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:47:42 +0000

What are you talking about?

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:29:46 +0000

You might consider doing some research before you think that wind and solar energy can solve energy problems. New power plant technology is amazingly efficient and doesn’t pollute anywhere near as much as the vehicles that the legion of maintenance crew for the solar panels will need to drive around to keep up that glitchy technology. Unless you like living in the dark with no electricity, in which case what are you powering your computer with?

By: Don't use a broad brush...

Don't use a broad brush... — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:25:00 +0000

to paint the entire nuclear industry as greedy and irresponsible because of the poor behavior of one company. As in all industries, there are good corporate stuards and poor ones. The regulatory, insurance, and public oversite mechanisms which exist in our society work and the process is moving along. I cannot begin to guess who in this issue is right, but I am confident that when the issue is processed through the system, a well researched and thourough answer, along with corrective and retaliatory punative actions will come into being. If the company is guilty of harboring a negative work environment, then the NRC, INPO, the insurance industry, the state PSC, and a host of other forces will come to bear down on the responsible parties. Take it to the bank, the system works.

By: Sour Grapes

Sour Grapes — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:54:40 +0000

What it boils down to is that these guys wanted the welder fired, and management only suspended him.
After that, they tried to up the ante by filing a report of willful violation with the NRC, against management’s desires.
Since the guy was suspended, there no longer was a safety issue.
The Union whiners should support management, who chose not to fire the Union welder.
These guys are part of the “Good old boys” culture that SONGS is trying to clean out. They are part of the reason SONGS has been in trouble these past few years.
Bottom line: protect the public, stay safe, follow the rules, generate electricity or get out! IN THAT ORDER!

By: what a joke

what a joke — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:28:16 +0000

Some comments made at the meeting need to be taken with a grain of salt. Perhaps all is not as it seems. Stress leave? really. WHO pays for their leave in the long run? The rate payers? If the two were so concerned why did they not bring up “mr. welder” to the NRC back in 2008 would the retaliation really take a year?

By: Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:17:53 +0000

yOU ARE IN THE DARK FOR SURE.