Southern California Edison has put in a new top manager for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) following an August mishap in transfer of spent fuel at the retired power plant.
In a statement Tuesday, the utility said Vice President of Operational Services Doug Bauder would take over on Nov. 12 as chief nuclear officer and project leader for the San Diego County facility.
Current Chief Nuclear Officer Tom Palmisano will stay on as external engagement officer. In that role he will be the direct point of contract for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the SONGS Community Engagement Panel, area government bodies, and other stakeholders.
Bauder previously served as site vice president at SONGS from June 2010 to September 2013.
“The decommissioning, permitting and spent fuel transfer efforts at SONGS continue to require extensive leadership and support,” according to the SCE statement. “The efforts required to ultimately undertake the physical decommissioning will be even greater and require more depth in our team than do current activities. This leadership addition is a key part of SCE’s commitment to continually support the decommissioning effort at SONGS.”
Southern California Edison is the majority owner and license holder for SONGS, which permanently closed in 2013 after faulty steam generators were installed in its two operational reactors.
Ahead of the start of primary decommissioning operations, to be managed by an AECOM-EnergySolutions joint venture, the plant has been moving the remainder of its spent fuel from wet to dry storage. On Aug. 3, one used fuel canister became stuck while being placed into a below-ground slot on the storage pad. It took about an hour to identify and correct the mishap. Fuel transfer operations are suspended while the Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigates the incident.
