SAN ONOFRE : Power Plant Stages Practice Emergency

Orange County and 11 other government and private agencies joined in a practice emergency drill Monday at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station just south of San Clemente.

Among those participating from Orange County were Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas F. Riley and officials from the county’s Fire Department and its division of emergency management. Some of the officials went to San Onofre while others manned the county’s emergency communications center in Santa Ana.

San Onofre spokesman Jack Wallace said officials set up operation centers in the cities and county locations. A scenario depicting a malfunction at the plant was used for the seven-hour training drill. Wallace said between 600 and 700 people participated in the drill.

Also involved in the training and evaluation drill were the California Highway Patrol from San Diego and Orange counties, Marines from Camp Pendleton, officials from San Diego County, firefighters from Oceanside, as well as representatives from the state Department of Parks and Recreation, the Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross, the state Office of Emergency Services, and the cities of San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point.

The drill was evaluated by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which will prepare a written report on Monday’s drill.

The nuclear plant, operated by the Southern California Edison Co., is in San Diego County.