Radioactive
leak found in reactor at S. Carolina nuclear plant, one of the
largest in US
A
reactor at one of the nation’s largest nuclear power plants has
been taken offline due to a radioactive leak within a containment
building.
RT,
11
November, 2013
"Out
of an abundance of caution,” service was temporarily removed from
Unit 1 at the Oconee Nuclear Station in western South Carolina early
Monday, according to ONS spokeswoman B.J. Gatten.
A
robot was used to confirm the leak over the weekend after it was
first suspected Friday night inside Unit 1’s containment facility,
Gatten said.
Less
than one tenth of a gallon of radioactive material is leaking per
minute, though it is not yet known how long the leak has existed, she
said, according to WYFF.
The
leak remains solely inside the containment building, a steel-lined,
airtight area with concrete walls several feet thick. No one works
inside the containment building, Gatten said.
The
leak is subject to ongoing repairs and analysis, though there is no
estimate for when it will go back online.
Gatten
claims the leak will not put any employees or the public in danger,
nor will it affect service.
The
leak has been reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, she
said. A Commission report said Unit 1 was running at full power
Friday.
Unit
2 at ONS was offline already for routine refueling, leaving one
reactor - Unit 3 - online Monday.
ONS
is run by Duke Energy, and began operation in 1973 with an initial
expiration date in 2013, per 40-year regulatory standards. However,
its license was extended for an additional 20 years - only the second
reactor to earn such a renewal - and is now scheduled to expire in
2033.
The
power plant is located on Lake Keowee near Seneca, South Carolina.
Its energy output is over 2,500 megawatts - enough electricity to
power 1.9 million homes, according to Duke Energy.
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