The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is launching a special inspection of Southern California Edison’s San Onofre nuclear plant because of electrical connection problems affecting plant safety systems. “Following an incident in which maintenance personnel discovered a loose electrical connection on an emergency battery that rendered it inoperable, NRC inspectors identified similar problems that had occurred since 2005,” the agency revealed July 30. It said the problems affected the emergency diesel generator and batteries used to supply power during some accidents. “We are concerned about the number of failures and want to take a look at the way the licensee has responded to the issue,” stated Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins. The inspection will begin August 4 and the three-person team will write a report. Edison claims the inspection is not coincident with the nearby earthquake this week.
