Fast, Pray, & Walk for a Nuclear Free Future

Fast, Pray, & Walk for a Nuclear Free Future and Respect for Mother Earth

Posted on November 2, 2012 by residentsorganizedforasafeenvironment

Fast, Pray, & Walk for a Nuclear Free Future and Respect for Mother Earth, putting your Prayers into Action.
祈り prayer 徒歩 walk 断食 fasting アクション action

11/30 Walk to San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station from Dana Point, fasting & prayer starts Dec 1-7.

After Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Fukushima, our world is crying. We may see a tear on the Buddha’s face and sense that Jesus and our ancestors also weep. We will fast (& walk) with hope and prayer for peace and nuclear free world.

We have a duty to pass on to the next generation a safe, clean, peaceful future and the possibility of happiness. But we face great challenges to survive on Mother Earth with the increased spread of radiation and the continuing possibility of nuclear war.

All life is born and sustained from the same source. We are one, irrespective of nationality, race, gender, or age. We can strive to live peacefully and to love one another. In this spirit, we are going to fast and pray at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant during the first week of December. (Dec. 8th is the Buddha’s Enlightenment day.) Afterwards we also will walk and pray in LA and San Luis Obispo. This is an interfaith activity and open to everybody. It will offer the opportunity to learn more about the great wisdom of Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad and the spirits of our ancestors. Kanaeda, Senji

The walk will start in Dana Point, CA on November 30 at 9 A.M. from the harbor parking lot and walk the 12 miles to San Onofre Nuclear power plant. This is estimated to take 3 to 4 hrs. Please join us for all or part of the walk, remember to bring water. If you cannot walk with us please plan to join us at San Onofre state park at the arrival time at 2 P.M. for the start of the prayers and ceremonies.

The name of our Japanese Buddhist order is “Nipponzan Myohoji”. We follow especially “Lotus Sutra” among various kinds of Buddha’s teachings. That is similar to “All life is sacred or all my relations” what Native people pray for. When we walk and pray outside we always chant our sacred word “NA MU MYO HO REN GE KYO” with beating of the scared drum.

Tentative Plan:
11/30 Fri. Walk to or around San Onofre (TBA)
12/1 Sat. Rohachi Fasting 1st Day 7am-5pm (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station)
2 Sun. 2nd Day 7am-5pm
3 Mon. 3rd Day 7am-5pm
4 Tue. Breaking Fast (4th Day)
5 Thu. 5th Day 7am-5pm
6 Fri. 6th Day 7am-5pm
7 Sat. Breaking Fast(7th Day)
8 Sun. Jodo-e Celebration (Buddha’s Enlightened Day) Move to LA
9 Mon. Rest Day
10 Tue. Peace Walk in LA
11 Wed. Move to San Luis Obispo
12 Thu. Walk from San Luis Obispo/Morrow Bay to Diablo Canyon

For more info contact: We are looking for a few volunteers if you would like to help.
Carol Jahnkow, caroljahnkow@gmail.com Peace Resource Center of S.D. Ca. www.prcsd.org
Gene Stone, genston@sbcglobal.net ROSE http://residentsorganizedforasafeenvironment.wordpress.com/

Why San Onofre Cannot Safely Be Restarted

The DAB Safety Team's Press Release 10-29-12

The DAB Safety Team has now published the differences in their damage assessment between San Onofre Replacement Steam Generators (RSG’s) Unit 2 and 3, and on the causes of Failure, due to operational parameter’s, that have not been explicitly identified either by SCE, MHI, their Outside Experts’ or the NRC.

San Diego, CA (Oct. 29, 2012) – The DAB Safety Team has just released their analysis of SCE’s SONGS Unit 2 Return to Service Report which is titled:

Overview - Consequences of a Main Steam Line Break, which describes why San Onofre’s RSG’s cannot be safely restarted even at reduced Power.

Documents:

1.  The DAB Safety Team Press Release (Complete)

2.  Overview - Consequences of a Main Steam Line Break

Additional Documentation:

3.  The Big Number 1 Condensed Version

4.  The Big Number 1 Attachment Notes

Thank You

Don Leichtling

- The DAB Safety Team

SCE’s Problem: The DAB Safety Team has concluded that SONGS Unit 2 RSG's suffered moderate damages compared with the severe damages to Unit 3 RSG's. This is because compared with Unit 3, Unit 2 RSGs were determined operating at Higher Secondary Pressures (30-100 psia) and lower reactor thermal power (Unit 3 - 1186 MWe & Unit 2 - 1183 MWe).  This DAB finding was confirmed based on review of Plant Operational Data, Plant System Descriptions, conversations with several anonymous Plant Personnel, Preliminary Engineering Calculations and review of the NRC AIT Report). 

Two Questions Reporters Might Like To Ask:

1.     Did the Region IV NRC AIT Team ask SONGS Engineers and Shift Managers why were they operating unit 3 at lower secondary pressures and higher reactor thermal power levels compared with Unit 2 RSGs. What drove them to make this change?  Did they seek Operations management approval?  Did they understand the implication of this change?  Do they understand now what they did wrong and will they admit it?

2.     Has the NRC checked the SONGS Operational Records and Calculations to independently verify that SONGS Unit 3 RSG’s tubes did not leak because SONGS Unit 3 RSG’s were producing more thermal power than the 3438 MWt allowed by their Technical Specifications.  Was the Net Reactor Thermal Power of 3438 MWt exceeded at any other time(s) in violation of SONGS Technical Specifications?

Note: For additional information and all the future DAB Safety Team's San Onofre Papers just click, then bookmark their TAB located at top of this great Decommission San Onofre website. 

CPUC Investigates San Onofre

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) had managed to prevent most of us from speaking, but after listening to one Chamber-of-Commerce speaker after another take up the speaking time to say the same thing -- that San Onofre is "safe, reliable, affordable energy" (it's none of those) Gary Headrick managed to force his way to the podium by dint of having nearly half the audience there to support him. He was followed by an eloquent 13-year old from Idyllwild, Zora.

Those two presentations, the vote, plus our speakers for the press conference afterwards are all presented here.

Speakers: Gary Headrick, Zora, CPUC, Ray Lutz, Gene Stone, Donna Gilmore, Ace Hoffman

Video by @AceHoffman
www.acehoffman.org

What Integrity Looks Like 

Today San Onofre Siren Test & Mode 3 Testing

Recorded at a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Meeting October 9th, 2012

 Note #1: Mode 3 testing was begun approximately one week later. Ongoing Today!

 Note #2: The girl in the blue shirt trying to get called on... never was. This happened to a lot of people that night.

 Video by Ace Hoffman www.acehoffman.org

San Onofre Leaking Hydrogen

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO HYDROGEN LEAKAGE

"The control room was notified that an unknown quantity of H2 gas (classified as a minor coupling leak [identified with Snoop liquid leak detector]) is currently being released to the air from the Unit 2 Full Flow Hydrogen skid. "The Environmental Protection Group reported the leak to the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) at 0809 PDT and the San Diego Department of Environmental Health at 0812 PDT lAW [plant] procedure S0123-XV-17.3, 'Spill Contingency Plan'. The Hydrogen Gas leak is currently still in progress. There is no gas collection areas. Maintenance is in the process of taking action to terminate the leak."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

10-18-12 SCE's RSG Testing Update + New NRC Blog Topic

The NRC has just posted this new topic on their blog site:

In Response to Your Letters: Proposed Restart of SONGS Unit 2

by Allison Macfarlane

NRC Chairman

http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/

You are encouraged to add your own comments, but be advised that moderation/posting is glacial!

====== 10/18/12 RESTART NEWS UPDATE =====

Information Concerning SCE's Ongoing RSG  Restart Testing At SanO:

I saw this info and I've had this email conversation with NRC Region IV about it:

(I saw this on Oct. 17, 2012 and sent it to the NRC)

Sir

I saw this posted on Twitter today and wanted to forward it to you, in the hope that it is not factual, because if it is, then the NRC has more problems at San Onofre than just damaged and leaking SG tubes...

This was posted on Facebook:

"ACTION ALERT! San Onofre Nuke Plant could Re-Start Within 10 Days!
From a whistle-blower at San Onofre nuclear plant in Southern California: "We are working on Unit 2, bringing it up from Mode 5 to 4 and are preparing to go from Mode 4 to 3 by the weekend of October 20th. Southern California Edison (SCE) brought in the auxiliary boiler (which runs off of oil), and assigned 12 hour shifts. SCE are making damn sure that no steam leaves the domes for fear the public will catch on. I can’t believe how audacious they are, but for all practical purposes, they are going to restart Unit 2—which still is highly radioactive—without the NRC thoroughly reviewing Edison’s application that was just submitted. Their motivation is to see if they fixed the new reactor head which leaked profusely the first time they tried it. They don’t want anything holding them back from actually restarting when they get the green light from the NRC. The NRC’s Confirmatory Action Letter allows them to take it up to Mode 3 because the reactor is not “critical”, (fission reaction is on hold). They are trying to beat the clock before time runs out on them and the CPUC (California Public Utility Commission) sticks Edison with the cost of the outage instead of the ratepayers.” -M

Question: Has the NRC approved this new TESTING, (as it was my understanding that there would be no restarting until the NRC decided it was safe to do so)?   You should be able to confirm the validity of the above with a simple phone call to the resident inspector at San Onofre...

Hopefully Mr. Elmo Collins will honor his quote, "We don't experiment with safety"...

I look forward to your timely response, as I want to give the NRC a chance to comment before publishing the above.

=====

I got this reply on Oct. 18, 2012:

Southern California Edison is permitted, by their license, and by the Confirmatory Action Letter issued March 27, 2012, to heat up and pressurize Unit 2 to normal operating pressure and temperature.  This heat up is being done using offsite electrical power.  This is NOT starting up the plant.  The safety concern with Unit 2 steam generators is the excessive vibration that occurs during high steam flow conditions in the steam generator, which may result in unexpected and rapid steam generator tube wear.  This cannot occur in the condition the plant is being taken to.  The steam generators will be hot, and pressurized, but there is no heat generation from the reactor, and the heat generation from the auxiliary boiler and reactor coolant (electric) pumps is very small and cannot produce enough energy to cause vibration in the steam generator tubes.  

The NRC has no concern with the structural integrity of the Unit 2 steam generator tubes today, in their current reactor shutdown condition.  The NRC is currently evaluating Southern California Edison’s proposal to restart the reactor.  This proposal states that Unit 2 can be operated, meaning it can start the reactor to produce the large amount of heat and steam flow for 70% of normal full power operation.  This amount of steam flow must be shown to not result in additional unexpected and excessive tube wear, or the NRC will not allow the reactor to be restarted. 

The reactor has not been, and will not be started up until NRC has granted permission.  The “testing” that is being referred to is normal testing that is allowed by the current license at San Onofre.  The “testing” that Mr. Collins was referring to is any test or experiment that is not currently an approved procedure and is outside the safety analysis as described in the facility Updated Final Safety Analysis Report.  As an example, the NRC would not allow the reactor to be restarted, producing the large amount of heat and steam flow, so that the licensee could monitor tube vibration to ‘see’ if excessive vibration is occurring – that would be a “test”.  The licensee must prove, with reasonable assurance, before starting the reactor, that excessive vibration will NOT occur.

Victor Dricks

Public Affairs Officer

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission / Region IV

=====

So I sent this reply yesterday:

Question 1 – Is the pressurized and hot reactor coolant (Any Amount) being circulated through SG 2E-089 under these test conditions?

Question 2 – Does the NRC postulate a MSLB outside containment under these test conditions?

Question 3 – If the answer to Question 1 and 2 is yes, does NRC postulate > 99.6 % steam voiding in the U-Tube Bundle?

 The public is going to ask ,"What is going on between Region IV and the NRC? People need the answers in a hurry.  Is the NRC more concerned about the Safety of The Public or letting Edison get away with whatever they want to do?  If NRC was strict from the very beginning with Edison, things would not have to come to this.  There is still time.  Here is a quote for your benefit, An anonymous participant in an Industry Conference was asking questions and persistently complaining about complex and unclear NRC regulations.  A NRC Branch Chief said, "Sir, to resolve any complex technical problem and understand unclear regulations, you have to, 'Read and reread in between the lines', use, 'Critical questioning and an investigative attitude' and 'Solid teamwork & alignment'."

=====

I'll update this post, if I get any additional replies

Best

CaptD

CPUC - DRAFT ORDER INSTITUTING INVESTIGATION REGARDING SONGS UNITS 2 AND 3

The San Francisco-based California Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday published a draft investigation order regarding the idled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

 It will take up the matter at a public meeting Oct. 25 in Irvine. 

                                                   --> Salute to UT's Morgan Lee

COM/MF1/sbf                                     DRAFT                              Agenda ID #11659 

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Order Instituting Investigation on the Commission’s Own Motion into the Rates, Operations, Practices, Services and Facilities of Southern California Edison Company and San Diego Gas and Electric Company Associated with the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Units 2 and 3.

Investigation_________

ORDER INSTITUTING INVESTIGATION REGARDING SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION UNITS 2 AND 3

Complete CPUC Draft Order

snip:

1. Introduction

We open this investigation to consolidate and consider issues raised by the extended outages of Units 2 and 3 at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). This includes determining whether to order the immediate removal effective today of all costs related to SONGS from the rates of Southern California Edison Company (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), with placement of those costs in a deferred debit account pending the return of one or both facilities to useful service or other possible action. It also includes considering appropriate rate treatment for all SONGS-related costs in other proceedings.

This investigation will consider the causes of the outages, the utilities’ responses, the future of the SONGS units, and the resulting effects on the provision of safe and reliable electric service at just and reasonable rates. Due to the size, location, ownership structure, and unique nuclear licensing requirements of SONGS, the unexpected outages raise particularly complex issues. These issues come before us in many proceedings. This investigation will consider these issues in a consolidated manner that is efficient for the utilities, parties and the Commission. To facilitate that objective, all costs incurred on and after January 1, 2012 that are associated with SONGS shall be tracked in a memorandum account. SCE and SDG&E shall each, within 30 days of today, file with the Energy Division Director and serve on the service list a Tier 1 advice letter to establish that account, including specified subaccounts.