San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California, in the northwestern corner of San Diego County, south of San Clemente. The site is surrounded by the San Onofre State Park and sits next to Interstate 5. The landmark spherical containment buildings around the reactors are designed to prevent unexpected releases of radiation. The closest tectonic fault line is the Cristianitos fault, which is considered inactive or "dead". The plant has been the site of many protests by anti-nuclear groups.
The facility is operated by Southern California Edison. Edison International, parent of SCE, holds 78.2% ownership in the plant; San Diego Gas & Electric Company, 20%; and the City of Riverside Utilities Department, 1.8%. The plant employs over 2,200 people. The plant is located in Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV.
The plant's two reactors (Units 2 and 3) have been shut down since January 2012 due to premature wear found on tubes in steam generators, which apparently contributed to the accidental release of a small amount of radioactive steam.
Read more about San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station: Reactors, Safety Issues, 2012 Shutdown, Environmental Risk and Mitigation, Anti-nuclear Protests, Future Prospects, In Popular Culture, See Also
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