Blackout shuts down San Onofre nuclear reactors

[flamingdem]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/blackout-san-onofre-reactor.html

The blackout affecting large swaths of San Diego County led to a shutdown of two reactors at the San Onofre nuclear power plant.

Gil Alexander, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, said the power outage did not cause any safety issues. Alexander said a fluctuation in power caused the reactors to shut down at 3:38 p.m. but that the overall plant continues to have power.

He said the system worked as it was supposed to during a loss of power.

(Unlike those other boiling water GE reactors in Fukushima..)

[izquierdista]

1. For now.....

San Onofre is in a great location to get completely covered by a tsunami. Couldn't put it up on some bluffs, had to be right ON the beach next to a river floodplain.

[flamingdem]

2. Exactly what I was thinking. Rachel Maddow mentioned the plants right now

and I immediately imagined the news of a tsunami and how that would feel since I'm close enough to worry.

Just recently it turned out their backup systems weren't functional. Or was that El Diablo. Both probably.

[bananas]

3. San Onofre Tsunami Inundation Map

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x39647

[saras]

4. WTF? They didn't even have to cross the freeway, let alone put it up on the bluff.

It appears that they could have moved it a short distance in EITHER direction, unless, of course, they dug a hole to put it in on what was a flat beach.

Maybe they had to put it in that low spot because there was also a fault line underneath it, or some rare species living there.

unnecessary :sarcasm: graphic

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Actually they filled up a lagoon that was

Prime surfing. It s smack on a fault.

[FBaggins]

7. The tsunami wall is 30ft above sea level.

What's the largest tsunami in the history of California?

[wtmusic]

8. Did you make up the "backup systems weren't functional" part

or do you have a link?

[Throckmorton]

21. NRC Event Report Link

The link to NRC event report from last Friday:

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2011/20110909en.html

From the Event Report: "The emergency diesel-generators are in standby/operable status and were not required during the event."

It is my understanding that the units fell below the 88% Sustained Degraded Voltage Trip, but not the 70% Loss of Off-site Power Trip (Sometimes called the U/V or LNP Trip). That is why the diesels were not required to power the station, that only happens when Grid Voltage falls below 70% of Nominal for a plant specific period of time.

[FBaggins]

24. I think the post actually refers to a much older event.

As I understand it, a switch was installed backwards and it's possible that one backup cooling system might not have been available remotely (had it been needed) during that 18-month period.

Of course it could also be operated manually (and isn't the only cooling option), so as before, it's only a "big deal" because we wisely set incredibly tight standards when it comes to nuclear power.

To attempt to leave the reader with the impression that the plant was without a backup cooling option for a year and a half (as is even a power outage would have resulted in a meltdown), is irresponsible bordering on intentional dishonesty.

[Sirveri]

5. you generally need an earthquake to produce a Tsunami.

[cascadiance]

6. The biggest dark foreshadowing scene in Batle: Los Angeles, when it came out...

on the same weekend the Japanese earthquake and tsunami happened, was the scene at the beginning where the Marines that would later be fighting aliens for the survival of earth were drilling on the beach at San Onofre, and there were brief panoramas showing San Onofre nuclear power plant in the background...

Pretty weird that I'm sure that the filmmakers had no intention of making that scene function in that way, but real events at the time the movie came out provided that much more meaning for that scene.

I believe that the Flash Forward television series also in a week close to the Japanese earthquake had the aliens in that show steal the fuel rods from San Onofre too.

It's almost like both of these situations where art unexpectedly warned of us of reality is perhaps serving as a warning to what might be our Fukushima soon if we don't do something soon.

Perhaps this blackout serves as another warning, since those earlier "messages", along with what happened in Nebraska and Virginia, still haven't got us doing anything about getting rid of nuclear power.

Wil we listen? I'm glad that I and other parts of my family have all left San Diego before this stuff happened, but I'm not happy for those who still live in that area for the threats this plant poses to them.

[dbackjon]

9. Yes, lets alien proof San Onofre - damn aliens ruining everything

[backwoodsbob]

10. it is possible

that this is the biggest woowoo post I have ever seen..grats.

[flamingdem]

11. There's a Kurusawa film that depicts six nukes melting down

and this was before the Fukushima catastrophe.

It's just interesting how artists interact with the zeitgeist.

[wtmusic]

12. Did you see The China Syndrome too? It was awesome!

Somehow it seems you've learned a lot about nuclear technology from movies.

Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

[flamingdem]

13. You seem to be suffering from pantius bunchius lately nt

[wtmusic]

14. Re: your "backup systems weren't functional" claim

could you provide a link to a screenplay? :rofl:

[flamingdem]

15. I spent five minutes and found tons of articles about the backup systems - see post nt

[wtmusic]

18. I spent two minutes and found tons of articles that say you're full of it.

And I'm rather embarrassed for you that I have to illustrate a basic tenet of scientific discussion.

Links, please.

[SpoonFed]

25. You and Bags are full of it you mean...

You mean this backup problem at San Onofre (that I found in seconds)?

The glitch in San Onofre's backup generators surfaced in August 2008, when the NRC announced that cables connecting batteries to the equipment had been "inoperable between March 2004 and March 2008. The federal agency found that Southern California Edison, the plant's operator, had failed to "establish appropriate instructions" for connecting the equipment.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_46cf4ee3-d38a-5824-8648-2e7589b063e6.html

And for improving your basic scientific understanding, 4 years is a lot longer than 18 months.

[FBaggins]

26. Still not reading what you reply to, eh?

Makes you look look pretty foolish (yet again).

Wtmusic wasn't the one who brought up the "18 month" issue, so you can either correct someone else's math or assume you're thinking of a different issue.

Or you could have just read you own linked story to see that it wasn't an issue.

" the faulty wiring was never so bad that it would have caused San Onofre's backup generators to fail in an emergency. "

[FBaggins]

19. IOW, no... You didn't make it up...

... Someone else made it up and you fell for it / spread the lie.

Thanks.

[diane in sf]

20. I saw China syndrome the day the 3 Mile Island, PA nuke plant F'ed up, the take away line was

"If this thing melts down it will destroy an are the size of Pennsylvania," greeted by roaring laughter from the whole theater.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Ok having been here

They cut themselves off the grid, not quite shut down. They remained in functional status. Though they are not part of grid yet...that be tomorrow...

Yes the grid s still ahem...touchy.

And nukes don't like touchy grids.

[miyazaki]

22. lmao. always worth a laugh. n/t

[Throckmorton]

23. Actually, the Event Report says they tripped automatically

meaning that they went from a supply to a drain, in about 2 seconds.

Still on the grid, but no longer as a generator.