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Public Safety

Congressman: San Onofre Must Be Safe To Restart

A couple stands near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station at San Onofre State Beach on March 15, 2012 south of San Clemente, California.
David McNew
A couple stands near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station at San Onofre State Beach on March 15, 2012 south of San Clemente, California.

A California congressman says the San Onofre nuclear power plant won't resume operations until it's "absolutely safe." Dana Rohrabacher toured the plant on Thursday.

Both of its reactors are offline while repairs are made to steam turbine tubes that carry radioactive water.

A Southern California Edison executive said Thursday that the plant could restart next month. Federal regulators would have to approve a restart.

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Rohrabacher also is calling for a moratorium on building new San Onofre-style "light water" plants that use normal water as a coolant. He says new nuclear plants should user safer new-generation technology.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.