Decision on San Onofre restart pushed back

NRC pushes back decision on restart of California's San Onofre nuclear power plant

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It's going to take a little longer to find out if the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant in California will be allowed to restart.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission planned to issue a decision as soon as late April on Southern California Edison's plan to bring the Unit 2 reactor back online.

The agency's website Tuesday indicates the decision will be delayed until May or June.

San Onofre's reactors have not produced electricity since January 2012, when a small radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.

NRC spokesman Victor Dricks says agency staff needs more time to review technical data submitted by Edison.

The plant is located between San Diego and Los Angeles.