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Two switches had been misaligned for 19 months at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, tests revealed last week. The error could have made it difficult for operators to cool the reactor had there had been a reactor emergency, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission official said.
Plant officials realigned the switches and checked the switches on the other reactor and confirmed they were working, Christensen Archer said.
NRC officials were evaluating how dangerous the misaligned switches had been to reactor safety as New Times went to press. Reactor workers found the misaligned switches during a routine refueling of reactor 2 that has been going on for weeks.
Officials say there are five other pumps available to cool the reactor during an emergency. Nuclear reactors must have a fully working coolant system to operate. If coolant lost during a reactor breach isn’t replaced, the radioactive core would overheat and melt down.