NRC TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold two meetings in Dana Point, Ca., on 

May 7, to discuss the agency=s 2008 assessment of safety performance for the San Onofre Nuclear 

Generating Station (SONGS). The plant, operated by the Southern California Edison Co., is located 

near San Clemente, Ca. 

The NRC staff will hold an informal open house between 4 and 6 p.m. during which they will 

be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of San Onofre, as well as 

the NRC=s role in ensuring safe plant operation. 

 From 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., the staff will meet with officials from Southern California Edison Co., 

to discuss the agency’s 2008 safety assessment of San Onofre. The NRC staff will also be available to 

answer questions from the public after the formal portion of the meeting is concluded. 

 Both meetings will be held at the Doubletree Guest Suites Doheny Beach, Trestles Room, 

34402 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Dana Point. 

 AThe NRC continually reviews the performance of San Onofre and the nation=s other 

commercial nuclear power facilities,@ NRC Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins said. AThese 

meetings will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our annual assessment of safety performance 

with the company and with local officials and residents who live near the plant.@

A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials addresses the performance of the 

plant during 2008 and will serve as the basis for the meeting with the licensee. It is available on the 

NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/sano_2008q4.pdf. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region IV 

 612 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 400 

 Arlington, TX 76011-4125 

Telephone: (817) 860-8128 

No. IV-09-014 

Contact: Victor Dricks 

Phone: (817) 860-8128

April 29, 2009

 E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov
“Although SONGS Units 2 and 3 operated in a manner that preserved public health and 

safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives, the NRC is concerned that continuing performance 

problems are not being effectively addressed,” Collins said in a letter to the licensee. 

Therefore, in addition to the normal detailed inspections performed at every site, the NRC 

plans to conduct additional inspections during 2009 to verify that weaknesses in human 

performance and problem identification & resolution have been corrected and the licensee has taken 

appropriate actions to address problems with some electrical equipment. 

These inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and 

by inspection specialists from the Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas. 

Current performance information for San Onofre Unit 2 is available on the NRC web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SANO2/sano2_chart.html. Current performance 

information for Unit 3 is available at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SANO3/sano3_chart.html. 

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