SAN CLEMENTE–The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $116,000 civil penalty to Southern California Edison Co. for two violations of NRC requirements related to an Aug. 3 fuel-loading incident.
The San Clemente, Calif., plant, owned by Southern California Edison, permanently ceased operations in 2013.
The violations related to the failure to ensure the availability of important safety equipment to provide redundant drop protection for a spent fuel canister during downloading operations into a storage vault. The violations also included failure to make a timely notification to the NRC Operations Center following the incident. The violations are described in an NRC special inspection report dated Dec. 19, 2018.
NRC held a pre-decisional enforcement conference on Jan. 24 in Arlington, Texas, to discuss preliminary findings identified by the special inspection team. The event was open to public observation and available via a webcast. A letter sent to the company provided details about the proposed civil penalty.
Southern California Edison has 30 days to dispute the fine or request involvement of a neutral third-party mediator to resolve the issues. The company has committed not to resume fuel loading without NRC approval.