Two complaints filed by San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station employees allege the primary owner of the power plant created a “hostile” environment to employees and perhaps created safety problems. Both Southern California Edison and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission claim that processes instituted in the last year have solved any potential problems. The complaints were filed November 16 at the U.S. Department of Labor. They basically allege that while the employees were attempting to make sure that welding of storage casks for high-level radioactive nuclear waste storage was done according to safety rules, the two employees were systematically locked out of decision making processes and denied advancement opportunities within the facility. Edison responded that an independent assessment of San Onofre’s safety programs in July found power plant employees “are responding positively” to promoting a “safety conscious workplace where employees are encouraged to bring forward safety concerns without fear of retaliation.” The NRC concluded the same in a November 16 posting. A similar whistleblower lawsuit was filed in 2003. The plaintiff said he found welds on casks being manufactured for high-level radioactive waste storage by Holtec were not being verified. Holtec manufactured the so-called “dry casks” for several nuclear facilities, including Diablo Canyon and Humboldt Bay. The claimant eventually not only lost his job, he also lost the lawsuit (Circuit, Sept. 5, 2003).
