Issue: Did Operators of San Onofre Nuclear Plant Deceive the Feds?

Sen. Barbara Boxer is urging the Justice Department to investigate if California utility executives deceived federal regulators about an equipment swap at the San Onofre nuclear power plant that eventually led to a radiation leak, The Associated Press has reported.

"The California Democrat obtained a 2004 internal letter written by a senior Southern California Edison executive that she said 'leads me to believe that Edison intentionally misled the public and regulators' to avoid a potentially long and costly review of four replacement steam generators before they went into service," the AP said Tuesday.

Boxer's office said the letter reveals "evidence of misrepresentation" since it suggests the company knew the replacements didn't meet the "like-for-like" benchmark Edison used to put them in use.

Will this revelation fuel efforts to shut down the plant, or lead to prosecution of operators? Share your thoughts in the comments.