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600 To Get Pink Slips At San Onofre Nuclear Plant

San Onofre from the State Park, April 2013
Nicholas McVicker
San Onofre from the State Park, April 2013

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) -- Operators of the San Onofre nuclear power plant are laying off 600 employees as the troubled facility begins to shut down for good.

The Orange County Register says nonunion employees will begin receiving pink slips in about two months.

Southern California Edison announced the schedule on Wednesday.

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It's the first round of an expected 1,100 layoffs at the Southern California coastal plant. About 400 employees will remain to continue the shutdown, which could take years.

Edison announced the plant closure earlier this month. The twin reactors were shut down last year and remained closed after the discovery of excessive wear in pipes that carry radioactive water.