San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Holding Emergency Drill Tuesday

Radiation experts and emergency workers from Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Diego will pretend that a major radioactive gas leak has happened at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station starting Tuesday.

The test is regularly scheduled, but happens to be occurring as a major meltdown is threatened at an earthquake-crippled reactor complex in Japan, 5,500 miles
across the sea.

The California Emergency Management Agency will coordinate the test at
the two nuclear reactors starting Tuesday, and concluding Thursday. San Onofre's two reactors generate 2.1 billion watts of electricity when
operating at full capacity. Both units were returned to 99 percent operations
this year, after extensive rebuilding projects.

Southern California Edison spokesman Gil Alexander told the San Diego
Union-Tribune that workers will test emergency shut-down procedures, and
practice securing radioactive fuel rods.

CNS contributed to this report