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Mitsubishi on San Onofre generator flaw: "We didn't get the memo."

Steam generator manufacturer pleads justifiable ignorance regarding warning in obscure trade publication.

Today, U-T San Diego broke a story about a 2005 article that warned about the very design problem that lead to the 2012 shutdown of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Plus, they found someone who was willing to comment on the situation in 2013, so it's totally news.

Jim Passbuck, head of media relations for generator builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, assured SD on the QT that his company could not possibly have been expected to be aware of "that kind of arcane information."

"I spoke with one of the faceless, nameless engineering drones at the Mitsubishi factory," said Passbuck, "and this is what he told me: 'By 2005, I didn't even read the newspaper any more. Suddenly, I'm supposed to have picked up the latest issue of the Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology? What am I, in school? Have you seen how much there is to watch online? If they wanted me to know about the danger, they could have at least put the warning in a video - maybe get those guys who animate the celebrity news segments. Yeah, if they'd shown something like Amanda Bynes having a meltdown after getting kicked out of that gym for smoking weed and then SONGS having a meltdown because of generator vibration, I would definitely have paid attention. I mean, it's my job, right?'"

'As it is, I don't even think those articles were available on the Internet back then. At least, not according to the Wayback Machine.'"

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Today, U-T San Diego broke a story about a 2005 article that warned about the very design problem that lead to the 2012 shutdown of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Plus, they found someone who was willing to comment on the situation in 2013, so it's totally news.

Jim Passbuck, head of media relations for generator builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, assured SD on the QT that his company could not possibly have been expected to be aware of "that kind of arcane information."

"I spoke with one of the faceless, nameless engineering drones at the Mitsubishi factory," said Passbuck, "and this is what he told me: 'By 2005, I didn't even read the newspaper any more. Suddenly, I'm supposed to have picked up the latest issue of the Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology? What am I, in school? Have you seen how much there is to watch online? If they wanted me to know about the danger, they could have at least put the warning in a video - maybe get those guys who animate the celebrity news segments. Yeah, if they'd shown something like Amanda Bynes having a meltdown after getting kicked out of that gym for smoking weed and then SONGS having a meltdown because of generator vibration, I would definitely have paid attention. I mean, it's my job, right?'"

'As it is, I don't even think those articles were available on the Internet back then. At least, not according to the Wayback Machine.'"

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