7/16/2011 'Unusual Event' Reported At San Onofre Plant

Source: Associated Press via San Franciso Chronicle
Date: 7/16/2011 16:31 PDT

(07-16) 16:31 PDT SAN ONOFRE, Calif. (AP) --

Utility officials say one of several redundant security systems used to monitor the grounds of Southern California's San Onofre nuclear plant stopped working for 45 minutes, triggering a declaration of the lowest level of emergency.

Gil Alexander, a spokesman for the plant's operator, Southern California Edison, said an "unusual event" was declared at 6:12 a.m.

Although the security system was restored within 45 minutes, the Orange County plant remained on unusual event status until 9:50 a.m.

Alexander said the failure was not related to nuclear operations and no part of the plant's perimeter was left unguarded.

Edison did not release details of the incident or say what kind of equipment was involved.

Officials were still trying to determine the cause of the failure Saturday afternoon.

Alexander said the unusual event declaration required immediate notification of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Editor's Note: The emergency has been cleared and the nuclear power plant is back in a non-emergency condition. Quoting the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) event notification report:

...
* * * UPDATE FROM DANIEL CRUZ TO DONALD NORWOOD AT 1255 EDT ON 7/16/11 * * *

The licensee exited the Unusual Event at 0950 PDT. The plant security safeguards systems have been returned to normal. Contact the Headquarters Operations Officer for details.

The licensee notified State and local authorities and the NRC Resident Inspector.
...

Map of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, not all nuclear power plants in the U.S. are included, only ones with known safety issues or recent unusual activity (that the editor knows about).

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