Mike Blake / Reuters

The San Onofre nuclear power plant lies along the coast between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Security has been beefed up at the San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California after it was discovered that a generator there might have been tampered with, the plant operator said. The plant has been out of service since January due to a leak in a steam generator.

Southern California Edison said it discovered engine coolant in an oil system in the backup diesel generator in late October during routine monitoring. An internal probe found evidence of potential tampering, though it could not be confirmed.

The presence of coolant posed no safety risk, the company said.

The news is the latest blow to San Onofre's majority owner, which earlier this month said the cost of the prolonged outage at the damaged nuclear power plant has topped $317 million. San Onofre's Unit 2 and Unit 3 reactors have been shut down since January after operators discovered a leak in a steam generator tube in Unit 3.

Technicians later found excessive wear on hundreds of tubes in units 3 and 2, which had been taken offline earlier for maintenance.

The problems center on damage to alloy tubing in four steam generators that were installed during a $670 million overhaul in 2009 and 2010.

A three-month federal probe blamed a botched computer analysis for generator design flaws that ultimately resulted in excessive wear to the tubes.

Last month, Edison asked federal regulators for permission to restart the Unit 2 reactor and run it at reduced power.

The utility and the NRC scheduled a public meeting on the issue Friday in Southern California.

However, an NRC decision is not expected for months.

The investigation into the potential tampering is ongoing, the utility said, adding that it has enhanced security at the nuclear power plant that sits on the coast about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. 

The company informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the issue on Oct. 30 and told the agency of the potential tampering on Nov. 27.

NRC officials were not immediately available for comment.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Goatee and Pismo, two goats, are riding a wave of popularity showing off their surfing skills to California beachgoers.

The goats' owner, Dana McGregor of Pismo Beach, says he taught his goats to surf because he loves to ride the waves and thought they would like it, too.

The goats stood on surfboards and cruised along waves this week at San Onofre State Beach, about 60 miles north of San Diego, as bystanders watched in amazement. They were in town as McGregor was visiting his brother in San Diego.

Goatee, a nanny goat, and her billy goat, Pismo, even rode waves together with surfing duo Mark and Debbie Gale, the Orange County Register reported. But after a few rides, Goatee swam to shore.

McGregor, 33, says he originally got Goatee to eat weeds and poison oak on his property, NBC station KSBY of San Luis Obispo reported.

"I used to live in Africa, and we ate goats in Africa and they're pretty good and tasty. So my friends from Africa were coming in ... and we were just going to eat Goatee," McGregor said.

The Orange County Register via AP

Dana McGregor, from Pismo Beach, far left, surfs with his pet goat Pismo and pals Mark and Debbie Gale, of San Clemente.

But McGregor had a change of heart.

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"I got super close, I fell in love with Goatee," he told KSBY.

He began taking the goat to the beach with him, eventually putting her on a surfboard.

McGregor says he started putting Pismo on a board after he was born in March.

McGregor is finding ways to use Goatee and Pismo's popularity for a good cause.

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The Orange County Register via AP

Dana McGregor's pet goats Pismo, left, and Goatee surf at San Onofre State Beach, Calif., on Wednesday.

"We've done a couple photo shoots, my buddy is doing a film, we're trying to raise money for a project in Haiti now. It's a goat farm for goat's milk and stuff, so that's our next project," McGregor said.

Goatee took to the waves in November, KSBY reported. Pismo was born in March while McGregor, his mother and Goatee visited McGregor's brother in Carlsbad.

They weren't planning on coming home with a new kid.

Msnbc.com's Jim Gold contributed to this article. Follow him on Facebook here.

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Uncredited / AP file

A photo released by the Orange County Fire Authority on May 17 shows Lin Hiner's cargo pants after beach rocks ignited in the pocket of her shorts. The San Clemente, Calif., woman suffered third-degree burns in the incident.

Additional testing by a California state laboratory has failed to unravel the mystery of the “burning rocks” that scorched a Southern California woman early this month after erupting into flames in her pocket.

Results of the tests by the state lab, released Thursday, confirmed initial testing by the Orange County Public Health Department that found elevated levels of phosphate on the rocks, but provided no explanation of its presence.

Chemistry experts have said they do not believe the phosphate was naturally occurring and have speculated that the rocks could have been coated with phosphorus, which can spontaneously ignite when exposed to oxygen.

The victim of the bizarre incident, Lyn Hiner, 43, suffered third-degree burns on May 12 when the rocks burst into flames while in the pocket of her shorts as she stood in the kitchen of her San Clemente, Calif., home, with her husband, Rob, and their children.

The kids had collected the rocks -- one smooth, orange-colored one and a smaller green one -- along with others earlier in the day at Trestles Beach at San Onofre State Beach. Lyn Hiner told the Orange County Register afterward that she put the rocks in her shorts pocket because her daughters were in their swimsuits.

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At least four hours later as Hiner stood in the kitchen, two of the rocks ignited, burning her upper thigh and her hand as she attempted to beat out the flames. Rob Hiner suffered burns to his hands as he struggled to free his wife from the burning shorts.

The Orange County Public Health Department, which took the case because the Hiners live in the county, said Thursday that its involvement in the investigation is concluded.

“Since the land is owned by the United States Marine Corps, operated by State Park Rangers, and the rocks were located in the County of San Diego, any future inquiries on this matter should be directed to the appropriate authorities,” it said in a statement.

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