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San Onofre - Unit 1

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), operated by Southern California Edison (SCE) is approximately 100 km (60 mi) south of Los Angeles, 6.5 km (4 mi) south of San Clemente, CA. It is located between I-5 and the Pacific Ocean, within the boundary of the Camp Pendelton military reserve.

Significant dismantlement of Unit 1 is currently underway. Units 2 and 3 are expected to operate until approximately 2022. The licensee has completed demolition of the Unit 1 Emergency Diesel Generator building, Control Building, and Administration Building. Dismantlement and removal of the electrical generator and main turbine is also complete. The licensee has completed reactor pressure vessel internal segmentation and cutup. The reactor internals abrasive cutting media has been sent offsite for disposal. Most of the Containment Sphere Enclosure Building has been dismantled and most of the large reactor system components have been removed including the reactor pressure vessel, pressurizer and steam generators. The remaining structure inside containment is being removed, and the turbine building is being removed down to about 10 feet below grade. The steam generators and pressurizer have been shipped to disposal. The licensee was unable to make arrangements for shipping the reactor pressure vessel to disposal because of the size and weight of the vessel and shipping package. The licensee plans to store the vessel onsite for the foreseeable future, as long as licensed activities are ongoing. The control room has been relocated to Unit 2. Major security modifications to isolate Unit 1 from Units 2 and 3 are complete. The licensee has transferred Unit 1 spent fuel to an onsite generally licensed ISFSI.

SONGS-1, a Westinghouse 3-loop pressurized water reactor constructed by Bechtel and rated at 1347 MWt, began commercial operation on January 1, 1968. It ceased operation on November 30, 1992. Defuelling was completed on March 6, 1993. On December 28, 1993 NRC approved the Permanently Defueled Technical Specifications. On November 3, 1994, SCE submitted a Proposed Decommissioning Plan to place SONGS-1 in SAFSTOR until the shutdown on Units 2 and 3, at the end of their licenses, that were extended to 2022 by license amendments in March, 2000. On December 15, 1998, following a change in NRC decommissioning regulations, SCE submitted a post shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) for SONGS-1 to commence DECON in 2000. Since that time, it has been actively decommissioning the facility. Unit 1 fuel was transferred to Phase 1 of the ISFSI. The ISFSI will be expanded onto the area previously occupied by the Unit 1 turbine building in order to store all Unit 2 and Unit 3 fuel when those units cease operation.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

SCE plans to leave the off-shore portions of the Unit 1 intake and outlet pipes in place, under the Pacific Ocean seabed, and release them for unrestricted use and terminate the lease it has from California. This would constitute a partial site release prior to submission of the LTP in accordance with 10 CFR 50.83. SCE has submitted an Environmental Report to the state. SCE discussed its plans with NRC during 2006. In accordance with 10 CFR 50.83, it submitted a request to NRC for release for unrestricted use of this system in December, 2007. During remediation activities inside containment, a breach of the containment vessel allowed water from the pedestal area to enter containment. When sampled, the water had elevated concentrations of tritium. As part of the NEI ground water initiative related to tritium in ground water at other reactor faculties, SCE installed several monitoring wells around the Unit 1 structures. Some concentrations above background were measured, but all are far below the EPA drinking water limits, and in non- potable saline water. Extraction wells were used to remediate all H-3 that was above background. SCE has elected to leave the below-grade portions of the turbine building in place after grouting expansion joints and embedded pipes. Because SCE has not submitted an LTP for this unit, it is not known if the surveys done on these areas prior to grouting will meet NRC requirements for final status surveys at the time of request for license termination. The PSDAR states all equipment and structures from Unit 1 will be removed from the site at the time of license termination, but SCE has stated it may reconsider this later, and possibly leave some of the below-grade structures in place. Current survey data may not support this option, in which case additional surveys, e.g. of the embedded piping, may be necessary to implement it. The licensee is also in the process of establishing a site-wide reference grid using GPS coordinates. Not all data has been converted to the new grid system.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

12/30/2045

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Monday, April 14, 2008