San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
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| San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station | |
 San Onofre Nuclear Station, Units 2 & 3 (NRC image).
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| Data | |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Location | San Diego County, California |
| Coordinates | 33°22′8″N 117°33′18″W / 33.36889°N 117.555°WCoordinates: 33°22′8″N 117°33′18″W / 33.36889°N 117.555°W |
| Operator | Southern California Edison |
| Start of commercial operation | August 8, 1983 (Unit 2) April 1, 1984 (Unit 3) |
| Ceased operation | (Unit 1) |
| Reactors | |
| Reactor supplier | Westinghouse (Unit 1) Combustion Engineering (Units 2 & 3) |
| Reactor type | pressurized water reactor |
| Reactors active | 2 (2,150 MW) |
| Power | |
| Total power generation in 2007 | 17,204 GW·h |
| Status | Operating |
| Other details | |
| Architect | Bechtel |
| License expires | Unit 2: February 16, 2022 Unit 3: November 15, 2022 |
| NRC region | Region 4 |
| Website www.sce.com/.../SanOnofreNuclearGeneratingStation/ |
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| NRC Region Four (West) |
|---|
| Arizona |
| Palo Verde |
| Arkansas |
| Arkansas 1 |
| California |
| Diablo Canyon San Onofre |
| Kansas |
| Wolf Creek |
| Louisiana |
| River Bend Waterford |
| Mississippi |
| Grand Gulf Yellow Creek* |
| Missouri |
| Callaway |
| Nebraska |
| Cooper Fort Calhoun |
| Texas |
| Comanche Peak South Texas |
| Washington |
| Columbia |
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* unfinished |
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The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California. The 84-acre (34 ha) site is in the northwestern corner of San Diego County, south of San Clemente, and surrounded by the San Onofre State Park and next to the I-5 Highway. It provides nearly 20% of the electrical power to the residents of Southern California.
Unit 1 is no longer in service. This reactor was a first generation Westinghouse pressurized water reactor that operated for 25 years, closing permanently in 1992. Units 2 and 3, Combustion Engineering pressurized water reactors, continue to operate and generate 1,172 MWe and 1,178 MWe respectively.
The plant is operated by Southern California Edison. Edison International, parent of SCE, holds 78% ownership in the plant; San Diego Gas & Electric Company, 20%; and the City of Riverside Utilities Department, 1.8%.
The environment is protected from potential unexpected releases of radioactivity by strong, spherical containment buildings. This containment structure feature was missing at the reactors at Chernobyl.
The closest fault line is the Christianitos fault, which is supposedly inactive. San Diego County states the station was "built to withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake directly under the plant".[1]
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[edit] Trivia
In the James W. Huston book, Fallout, Pakistani Air Force Pilots attempt to bomb San Onofre using stolen California Air National Guard F-16s.
The generating station was also featured in the 1983 film Koyaanisqatsi.
In the James Bond book License Renewed by John Gardner, it was one of six nuclear power stations in the terrorist/blackmail plot "Meltdown" planned by The Laird of Murcaldy, Anton Murik.
The original San Onofre Unit-1 Power Plant was used as the "Gotham City" Atomic Reactor in the 1960s Batman TV show starring Adam West.
In the science fiction novel Timescape, by Gregory Benford, the nuclear plants at San Onofre raised the water temperature along the adjacent coast, which stimulated aquatic life.
[edit] Environmental studies
The site is also notable for the environmental impact studies that were conducted prior to and after the power stations construction. The studies were ahead of their time in their level of detail and the use of an independent body to conduct the monitoring.[citation needed]
 Picture from Beach. |
 Children playing within eyesight of the plant. |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- "San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, California". Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). September 15, 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/sanonofre.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- "San Onofre 2 Pressurized Water Reactor". Operating Nuclear Power Reactors. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). February 14, 2008. http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/sano2.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- "San Onofre 3 Pressurized Water Reactor". Operating Nuclear Power Reactors. NRC. February 14, 2008. http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/sano3.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- SCE SONGS webpage
- Edison SONGS webpage
- Why Domes at San Onofre from North County Times
- So. Calif. nuclear plant worker faked fire checks
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