Weekend Edition: Nebraska Nuc Looses Cool

credit: AP

Update: Early Sunday morning the Nebraska Public Power District, owner of the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant, declared a "notification of unusual event" for their station, the lowest level emergency alert recognized by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The water level at the nuclear plant rose almost three feet over the weekend. The Missouri River levee near the plant was overtopped by flood waters and is at risk of washing away.  Upriver, OPPD remains confident that its flood barriers will protect the Ft. Calhoun station, "far above where this [flood] is projected to go".  There have been no radioactive releases, and the utility took the precaution of flooding the containment to keep fuel rods cool since the reactor was already off line for refueling.

{18.6.11}Omaha is the home of the College World Series, Warren Buffett, juicy steaks with a side of spaghetti, and the Ft. Calhoun nuclear power plant. The flooding Missouri River caused emergency measures to be put into place at the riverside* power plant, and Pro Publica reports that an electrical fire on Tuesday knocked out cooling for a spent fuel holding pool. The problem was nowhere near the catastrophe of Fukushima where lack of power for an extended period caused circulating pumps to shut off and fuel rods to melt. Power was restored after 90 minutes, and pool temperatures increased by only 2℉. However, fires at nuclear plants and the amount of spent fuel piling up at the nation's 104 commercial nuclear power plants continue to be of high concern. Ft. Calhoun, a 478 megawatt reactor, has been shut down since April for refueling and will stay shutdown until the river subsides. The reactor remains dryeven though surrounded by flood waters according to federal officials.  Omaha Public Power District, the plant owner, has taken steps to shore up flood barriers and protect diesel generators used for emergency power.  The Cooper plant near Brownsville where flood waters are not as high, remains in operation.

*nuclear power plants are often located near bodies of water because of their critical need for water to cool reactors and fuel rods. Nuclear power generation is the most water intensive of common methods of power generation including hydroelectric. The use of water in large amounts by nuclear plants has negative impacts for marine life and water quality. Thirty-six states face water shortages in the future.