For more than 35 years, nuclear reactors have operated safely and dependably throughout the United States. Today, over 100 nuclear plants produce nearly 20% of all power in the country, making nuclear energy the second largest source of electricity after coal.
Public safety is at the foundation of everything required for operation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) -- from operator training to several levels of back-up equipment, to its barriers of steel and concrete.
SCE employees at SONGS come to work each day understanding that they have a personal stake in the plant's safe operation. After all, SCE employees not only work there, they and their families also live in the surrounding communities. The following safeguards demonstrate our commitment to safety.
Systems Safety
Control and safety systems within the plant are designed to overlap. Automatic systems have the ability to shut down the reactors within seconds if monitoring devices detect unusual conditions. Should any individual safety component fail, there are back-up systems that take over immediately.
Seismic Safety
California is known for earthquakes. That is why geology, seismology and earthquake engineering were all applied to the careful evaluation of site selection and construction plans. SONGS is located in an area which has not experienced significant seismic activities in more than 120,000 years. Regardless, it was built to withstand a major earthquake of 7.0 magnitude on the Richter scale, whose epicenter would be within five miles of the plant.
Design Safety
Before SONGS began operating, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which regulates the nation's nuclear industry, spent more than a decade reviewing plant design and location selection, and evaluating operations and SONGS' safety features. Throughout this process, many federal, state and regional authorities participated to ensure the comprehensive standards were met.
Three barriers prevent the release of radiation to the environment. Steel tubes or rods which contain the fuel pellets act as the first barrier. The fuel rods are contained within the reactor vessel's 8-inch thick steel walls, the second barrier. The third barrier is the air-tight containment building's metal-plate lining and reinforced concrete walls, which are more than four feet thick.
Nuclear Training
About 100 SONGS employees are dedicated to nuclear training. New employees go through courses in nuclear safety that include tough written exams. All personnel receive annual retraining and workers with specialized jobs receive training in areas ranging from chemical, electrical and hazardous materials handling to general industrial safety.
Operator Training
Each nuclear power plant operator is licensed by the NRC. To qualify for the six-year license, operators must first complete a two-year training program of engineering courses, in-plant training and systems design, and pass a rigorous battery of written, oral and simulated control room exams. Every two years, operators undergo extensive physical exams, as well as security and psychological evaluations. In addition to NRC re-certification, operators also must pass an annual SONGS examination.
Every five weeks, all operators spend four days in re-training that includes classroom work and control room simulations. To keep the plant running safely, these simulations keep operator skills honed to deal with irregularities not normally encountered in day-to-day operations.
Regulatory Oversight
The NRC oversees compliance with regulations governing operational and occupational safety. Resident NRC inspectors are in place at these plants every day. NRC's regional specialists check on various technical aspects of plant maintenance and operation during announced and unannounced inspections, as well.
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