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In our last newsletter about the 11th anniversary of the San Onofre Shutdown, I mentioned the importance of the whistleblower's role. Now I'd like to take this opportunity to let you know a little more about Orson Wong, the person who first told us about the dysfunctional safety culture which ended the power plant for good. Orson died of a heart attack in 2013, but not before learning about the shutdown. Here is the text from the actual email I first received from Orson.
Text copied from Whistleblower email rec’d 12/19/2009
I read your article about the whistleblowers at San Onofre Nuclear Plant and found it to be very interesting, I have worked at SONGS for 30 years and recently retired because working conditions have gotten to be too oppressive. I expressed some safety concerns at my exit interview but I don't think they will be acted on. I don't want this letter to be published or my identity to be revealed because even though I am retired I still feel I could face some form of retaliation. I wonder if you could do some investigative reporting and publish your findings to keep San Clemente's citizens informed of threats to their health and safety. Anyway during the current Steam Generator replacement outage at Unit 2, I overheard some reactor engineers arguing in the SONGS cafeteria about the fact that Edison is planning to start the plant with fuel in the reactor and without performing any "Hot Functional Testing" which is a test operation of the plant without having fuel in the reactor. When the Plants were first built they were tested without fuel in the reactor and since this current overhaul is like a rebuild they should perform "Hot Functional Testing". Currently poor craftsmanship and constant rework have placed the planned outage about a month behind schedule. Since SONGS is one of Edison's biggest sources of revenue they want the plant back on line as soon as possible what ever it takes. I wonder if you could run this issue by the NRC and see what they think about it. Thanks.
I interviewed Orson's son, Max, two years ago (looking the part of a shut-in during the pandemic), and want to share this 26 minute uncut version with you now. It is an up close and personal view into what it takes to be a whistleblower. It was an honor and a privilege to have Max share his story with us.
We must respect, protect and be grateful fort the valuable contributions people like Orson Wong make to society at their own unselfish peril.
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