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It's about time.
a010  0057  29 Apr 84
BC-Diablo Canyon,530
California's Newest Nuclear Plant Begins Operation
By LEE SIEGEL
AP Science Writer
    SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) - Billions over budget and years late,
the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant started operation for the first
time early Sunday, about 12 hours before protesters planned another
march and rally against the controversial facility.
    A chain reaction began within the Unit 1 reactor at California's
newest nuclear plant at 4:07 a.m. EDT, just after midnight local time,
utility and Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials said.
    ''At 12:07 a.m. today, Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant Unit 1
achieved its first self-sustaining fission chain reaction - called
criticality - marking the start of low-power testing,'' George
Sarkisian, spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Co., said.
    ''It was a very smooth, uneventful startup,'' Sarkisian added.
    The process of starting up the reactor came more than two weeks
after the NRC approved a low-power testing license for the first of
two reactors at the $4.9 billion seaside plant, the last to be built
in California.
    PG&E engineers proceeded very slowly before starting the fission
reaction.
    ''They're under the spotlight - that's why they're not rushing. ...
They're doing a thorough job,'' said Al Johnson, NRC regional
enforcement officer.
    Johnson said he was in the control room prior to startup ''to see if
anybody was pressuring anybody to hurry. I saw none of that.''
    Under the low-power test license granted April 13 by the NRC, the
utility will operate Unit 1 at up to 5 percent of its rated capacity.
    PG&E must complete low-power trsting and receive approval from the
NRC before it can begin operating Unit 1 at full power. When Unit 1
achieves full power commercial operation, it will generate 1,084,000
kilowatts of electricity - enough to serve a city with more than 1
million residents.''
    Johnson said PG&E officials told him they expect low-power testing
to take up to two months. During that period the reactor cooling
system will be checked to make sure it will respond properly during
simulated emergencies.
    Construction on the seaside power plant started 15 years ago, with
Unit 1 initially set to start operation in 1976, Sarkisian said. The
facility's initial price tag was about $400 million, said Johnson and
Jess Crews, chief regional engineer for the NRC.
    But costs skyrocketed and the start-up was repeatedly stalled
because of the discovery of an earthquake fault three miles offshore,
numerous design errors and other problems.
    With a protest march and rally planned for Sunday by the
anti-nuclear Abalone Alliance, only a handful of demonstrators was
outside the plant's main gate Saturday, maintaining a vigil that since
Jan. 13 has resulted in 532 arrests, mainly for trespassing.
    The scene contrasted sharply with previous protests, such as one in
1981 when thousands of people rallied at the plant gate.
    While Abalone Alliance officials vowed earlier to continue their
battle against the nuclear plant, a tape-recorded message left at the
group's office Saturday sounded forlorn.
    ''All legal efforts to prevent low-power testing have failed,'' the
recording said. ''If you are not here to stop this from happening,
you are making a big mistake.''
    
ap-ny-04-29 0455EDT
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