"LOS ANGELES — Unusual wear has been found on hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water at Southern California’s San Onofre Unit 2 nuclear plant, raising questions about the integrity of equipment the company installed in a multimillion-dollar makeover in 2009.

The disclosure came two days after a tube leak at the plant’s other unit prompted operators to shut down the reactor as a precaution. A tiny amount of radiation could have escaped, but officials say workers and the public were not endangered.

The problems at Unit 2 were discovered during inspections of a steam generator, after the plant 45 miles north of San Diego was taken off-line for maintenance and refueling. The two huge steam generators at Unit 2, each containing 9,700 tubes, were replaced in fall 2009, and a year later in its twin plant, Unit 3, as part of a $670 million overhaul."

Michael R. Blood reports for the Assoociated Press February 2, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

Illinois: "Officials: Faulty Insulator Caused US Nuclear Reactor Shutdown, NRC Inspecting Water Pumps" (AP) [3]

"Nuclear Regulator Estimates Low Level of Tritium Released at Stalled Northern Illinois Reactor" (AP) [4]

"Illinois Nuclear Reactor Shutdown Probed" (CBS)
[5]
Illinois: "NRC: Radioactive Release From Byron Shutdown Safe" (AP)
[6]
"California Nuclear Plant Shuts Down Reactor as Precaution" (Reuters) [7]

"No Threat From Gas Leak at California Nuclear Plant, Feds Say" (CNN) [8]

New York: "Nuclear Agency Requires Fire Safety Upgrades at Indian Point" (ENS) [9]

"Group Appeals To Florida Supreme Court in Effort To Block Nuclear Plant Prepayment Fees" (Palm Beach Post) [10]

"Many Unanswered Questions in Crystal River Nuclear Plant Settlement" (Tampa Bay Times) [11]

"NRC Wants U.S. Nuclear Operators To Adopt New Seismic Model" (Reuters) [12]