By Rory Carroll
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., June 18 (Reuters) - Tubes that leaked radioactive steam at a California nuclear power plant, leading to an indefinite shutdown, were not properly tested by the manufacturer prior to installation, nuclear regulators told an overflowing public hearing on Monday.
The San Onofre Nuclear Power plant, located in Orange County, has been shut down since Jan. 31, when plant operators discovered a small radiation leak in one of the plants' two units. The 2,150-megawatt plant is operated by Edison International's Southern California Edison utility.
The nuclear station is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego and is critical to the grid to import electricity into southern California. Its extended shutdown raises the possibility of rolling power outages as warmer temperatures boost demand for power over the summer.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday pinned the blame for the leak on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which it said underestimated the velocity of water and steam surging through the generator by a factor of three or four times in its computerized test of the equipment.
The tubes were also not held together tightly enough inside the troubled Unit 3 reactor, allowing them to rub against each other and causing premature wear, regulatory officials said.
Eight of the 129 tubes tested by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since the shutdown at the plant's troubled Unit 3 generator failed pressure testing, an unprecedented number, said Elmo Collins, regional administrator for the Region IV office of the NRC.
"We've never seen that before," he said of the test results. "This is a significant, serious safety issue."
Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Southern California Edison said they would not allow the plant to reopen until it was safe to do so, and declined to give a specific timeline for restarting the plant.
"Both San Onofre units will be shut down until repairs are made and we and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are satisfied it is safe to operate," said Pete Dietrich, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for the power plant.
While the regulatory commission has some authority over contractors such as Mitsubishi, Collins made it clear that it's Southern California Edison that will ultimately be held accountable if penalties are eventually levied by the government.
A crowd of over 400 people showed up for the hearing, many asking pointed questions about the competence of the Southern California Edison and the regulatory commission, as well as raising questions about the safety of nuclear power.
Dozens of environmentalists held a rally prior to the meeting with anti-nuclear signs, including one banner that read "Fukushima not again!" - a reference to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster last year following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan.
Damon Moglen, climate and energy director for green group Friends of the Earth, said that Southern California Edison made significant design changes to the plant without seeking an amendment to its existing license, as is required by the regulatory commission.
His group submitted petition to nuclear regulators on Monday to require the company to obtain a new license, complaining that in his view the commission was "asleep at the regulatory wheel."
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said its investigation into what went wrong at the plant was ongoing and promised to keep the public apprised of any new developments. A written report on the findings will be released next month, regulators said.
Source: www.reuters.com
California Adventure breaks attendance record - msnbc.com
Anaheim -- Eleven years ago, visitors waited just five or 10 minutes for rides during Disney California Adventure's first, rainy weekend.
But visitors stayed in line for up to six and a half hours on the day of the park's grand re-opening, on Friday, when Disney unveiled keystones to a $1 billion transformation, most notably Cars Land.
Over the weekend, guests endured hours-long waits.
"It's night and day," said David Koenig, an author of unauthorized Disney books, including "Mouse Tales." "The place was empty (in 2001)."
Although Disney won't discuss attendance figures, Miceage.com, a Disney watchdog site, said California Adventure enjoyed its all-rime record on Sunday.
On Sunday, about 45,000 guests visited the park, more than any day since the park debuted in 2001, reported Al Lutz of Miceage. The day that the park held its grand re-opening -- Friday -- it reportedly drew about 43,000 people.
Disney did acknowledge the park was busy.
"As expected, Disney California Adventure's grand re-opening weekend proved to be extremely popular," said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman, in a statement. "Thanks to countless hours of planning by our operations teams, we were able to accommodate all of our guests who raced to the resort to be among the very first to experience Cars Land."
Visitors waited about two hours Saturday and about three hours Sunday for Radiator Springs Racers, the attraction that goes through the mountain backdrop in Cars Land, said Kelly Johns, founder of Mousewait.com, an app that tracks wait times.
Terri Garfinkel of West Hollywood got to Disney California Adventure at 7:40 a.m. on Sunday; the park was scheduled to open at 8 but was already welcoming in guests. He was riding Radiator Springs Racers within 20 minutes, but the line for Luigi's Flying Tires was already 75 minutes by the time he left the first ride.
Some rides broke down a few times, creating longer waits.
"There were occasional downtimes," Brown said. "During the initial opening period for a new attraction, it is not uncommon to experience more downtimes than with other attractions while we are testing and adjusting."
Contact the writer: 714-704-3793 or stully@ocregister.com
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- Dog reported stolen from girl with cancer
- Mickadeit: Daryl Hannah is coming to rally O.C. greens
- Chief's wife convicted of shooting at cops
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
California bar: Illegal immigrant should get law license - msnbc.com
Courtesy of Sergio Garcia
A California State Bar committee is recommending that Sergio Garcia, an illegal immigrant, receive a law license in a first-ever case for the California Supreme Court that could affect others like him who hope to follow in his footsteps.
An illegal immigrant applying for a law license in California should be allowed to receive it, the State Bar of California argues in a filing to the state Supreme Court.
Sergio Garcia, 35, of Chico, Calif., has met the rules for admission, including passing the bar exam and the moral character review, and his lack of legal status in the United States should not automatically disqualify him, the Committee of Bar Examiners said Monday.
“ … Mr. Garcia’s status in the United States, should not, ipso facto, be grounds for excluding him from law licensure. He has met all of the prescribed qualifications and there is no reason to believe he cannot take the oath and faithfully uphold his duties as an attorney,” the bar said.
Garcia's father is a naturalized citizen, according to the bar, and Garcia is waiting for a visa that would give him legal permanent residency. His application for a law license is being weighed by the court because his case is unprecedented in the state, the bar committee said.
A similar case is being heard in Florida for a bar applicant in that state, Jose Godinez-Samperio, who came from Mexico to the United States as a child with his parents and overstayed a tourist visa. How justices rule in the cases in California and Florida could affect other illegal immigrants who hope to follow in their footsteps.
Some 11.5 million “unauthorized immigrants,” as the Department of Homeland Security calls illegal immigrants, lived in the United States as of January 2011. Of that, 6.8 million were from Mexico, like Garcia, according to the department’s Office of Immigration Statistics. On Friday, President Barack Obama announced that some of the immigrants who came to the country as children – and met other requirements -- would be able to get two-year work permits. He also called on immigration officials to halt deportation proceedings against them.
Obama administration won't seek deportation of young illegal immigrants
Skepticism, joy among illegal immigrants over Obama decision
Obama immigration order poses dilemma for eligible illegal immigrants
Garcia, who attended law school and college in California, does not fit in that group because he is over the age limit of 30, but he is nonetheless overjoyed for those who do. He has been waiting nearly 18 years for a visa, though his petition for it was approved in 1995, the bar said.
“That’s the state of our immigration system … our immigration system is broken,” Garcia told msnbc.com, estimating he will have to wait another five years for the visa. “It’s really painful.”
A decision on his bar application could still be at least months away for Garcia. Others now have one month to submit their own legal filings in the case, and then the state bar would have another month to reply to those, the court said.
“I have always been an eternal optimist so this (bar recommendation) does give me hope,” Garcia, who submitted his application to the bar in 2009, told msnbc.com. “I have faith that my dream of being an attorney will be realized sooner rather than later.”
In the filing, the bar committee said it was not aware of any statute, regulation or authority that would preclude his admission. It noted that Garcia’s employability in the U.S. should not determine whether he gets a license, citing the cases of foreign students who can get admitted to the California bar but may not stay in the country to practice law afterward.
“ … the grant of a law license provides no guarantee of a pathway to lawful employment in the United States for these individuals,” the bar committee said. “What Mr. Garcia, or any other foreign applicant, does with his license after licensure must comport with federal regulations and that is a matter strictly between him and the federal government.”
Former Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, who supports Garcia’s application, said that the court was the ultimate authority on attorney admissions in the state and would likely establish a rule in this case that would apply to similar ones in the future. But the possibility that undocumented immigrants could receive law licenses doesn’t sit well with some.
“I know what the policy ought to be, which is that … someone who doesn’t have the right to be in the United States shouldn’t be admitted to the bar, period,” Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that supports tighter immigration controls, told msnbc.com in late April.
“This is trying to steal a base. In other words, they’re trying to skip over the debate over whether people in his situation should get legalized,” he added. “It’s one more way of trying to create a de facto legalization.”
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Source: usnews.msnbc.msn.com
1-800-GOT-JUNK? Founder Plots Takeover of Painting Industry - Yahoo Finance
New one day painting company is offering free house painting for life to help drive franchise sales in North America
VANCOUVER, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Brian Scudamore, Founder & CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was so impressed by the company he hired to paint his house in the summer of 2010 that he decided to buy the company. Rebranded as 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting, they already have a strong foothold in 16 major metros including Miami, Seattle, Kansas City and Toronto. To help hit their goal of 50 franchises by the end of 2012, they've launched a contest offering to paint your home for free, for life, in exchange for an accepted franchise referral in North America.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120619/MM26815 )
"It's becoming increasingly important to come up with creative, out of the box strategies to help drive growth. We're giving away a lifetime of free house painting, a unique and fun idea that will help us increase franchise sales in North America. Entering is easy; just visit our website and follow the prompts. If your referral goes through our process and is approved, we'll paint your home for the rest of your life!" explains Scudamore, co-founder & CEO of 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting. Full details of the contest can be found by going to www.wow1daypainters.com/free-painting-for-life.
Scudamore co-founded 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting with Jim Bodden who came up with the concept in 2008. Bodden had been operating under the name One Day Painting and was experiencing great local market success. It was his meeting with the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Founder that took his company to the next level. One of the determining factors in Bodden's decision to form the partnership was the vision that 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting would become Scudamore's next $100 million brand.
"1-800-GOT-JUNK? brought professionalism and a national brand to the once mom and pop junk removal industry. We're doing the same thing with painting by guaranteeing one day completion by professional uniformed painters who don't compromise on quality," says Scudamore. "By leveraging the infrastructure, knowledge and systems of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, we've been able to experience rapid growth from year one. It will be initiatives like giving away free house painting which will turn 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting into a household name"
About 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting
1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting prides itself on providing the quality you expect in a timeline that's unexpected. We specialize in both interior & exterior paint jobs, offering a one-day guarantee for each project. Each painting job is completed by a team of uniformed professionals who use environmentally-friendly paint ensuring that no harsh odors or fumes are left behind. Our state-of-the-art call center and online booking service ensures that your experience leaves you with a genuine sense of WOW! For additional information call 1-888-WOW-1DAY! (1-888-969-1329) or visit us online at www.wow1daypainters.com.
Source: finance.yahoo.com
Vandalism of Picasso painting caught on camera - Daily Telegraph
Officials say that the vandalism happened on June 13 at the Menil Collection, in Houston, where the painting is one of nine Picassos.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Pablo Picasso Painting Vandalized at Houston Museum - ABC News
YouTube
Police are using security and cellphone video to locate a man who vandalized Pablo Picasso’s famous painting, “Woman in a Red Armchair,” at a museum in Houston.
A fellow museum patron’s cellphone camera caught the moment when a man at Houston’s Menil Collection, which hosts nine Picassos, vandalized the 1929 painting. The painting was doused with gold spray paint in the image of a bull and the word “conquista,” according to police, who said the vandal then fled.
“I’m shocked that he just did it, and unabashedly just ran up and did it,” teacher Isaias Torres said .
Museum officials say the crime occurred last week.
The museum staff houses a conservation lab on site and workers are racing to clean the painting. Museum spokesman Vance Muse told the Houston Chronicle that “repair work began immediately” and that the painting “has an excellent prognosis.”
Art collector Matthew Hewitt said, “It’s excellent that it can be repaired for historic reasons, it’s excellent that it can be repaired, for the respect of Houston, for the defamation of any kind of historical art, and the name of Picasso.”
The museum was unable to estimate the painting’s worth, but similar Picassos have sold for tens of millions of dollars. No arrests have been made.
Anyone who witnessed the attack or has information is asked to call (713) 308-0900.
Source: abcnews.go.com
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