The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has called another meeting to discuss Southern California Edison’s plans to resume power generating activity at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, idled since January following a failure of one of the twin reactors’ steam generators that caused a small amount of radiation to be released.

This meeting, unlike recent ones concerning the plant’s future that have drawn packed houses of nuclear supporters (mostly union members defending the jobs the plant creates) and opponents (mostly environmental activists that have favored permanent shutdown of the facility since long before the leak), will be held far from the region most influenced by the plant. The next meeting will be held beginning at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time in Rockville, Maryland.

Although a detailed agenda has not been published, the meeting announcement references an examination of the Commission’s request for further information on [Edison’s proposal3. The body says no decision on whether to allow the restart is forthcoming at this point.

In lieu of direct attendance at the Commission’s facility, a live webcast of the proceedings is planned.

Meanwhile, nuclear watchdog group Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, which questions the economy as well as the safety of nuclear power, announced this morning that it has filed to become a party of the investigation opened by the California Public Utilities Commission, which will examine the propriety of Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric ratepayers spending $54 million monthly on San Onofre despite its failure to produce energy.