Fear of management retaliation is so widespread among employees at the San Onofre nuclear plant that some are reluctant to report safety concerns, even though plant workers as a whole made nearly 10 times more safety complaints than the mid-range for the industry in 2009.

Management at the plant, owned by Southern California Edison, has created a “chilling effect” among a minority of workers, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a letter to plant management Tuesday, although those employees are widespread among many worker groups.

The letter, which followed an “exit meeting” between San Onofre management and NRC, says managers must develop an action plan within 30 days to address the problems.

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