Situation at nuclear plant?

I don't post here often, although I lurk daily. If this post is in the wrong spot I apologize. I just heard on the top of the news here in Michigan about a "situation" at the Fermi 2 nuclear plant. They have evacuated everyone, and they will not elaborate on what the situation is. This was shown on our local ABC affiliate. The other news channels did not even run the story. I checked the local news websites, and cannot find any reports. I just wondered if anyone has heard about this, and what the situation may be?

Sounds like major news, if you find a news report link, maybe you should submit an ATSNN report.

Havent heard anything in Arizona, but thats not surprising..

Please follow-up if you can. Thanks

I'm all ears...I work at a nuclear facility myself, and I'll be watching the news for anything happening at Fermi 2.
Where I work we have safety systems backing up safety systems, and I doubt if we're headed for another meltdown...but ya never know, eh?
Thanks for posting this, frogs453

Still can't find anything, but if I can, I will post a news report, and if I just hear anything, I will be sure to post it.

Here's a forum I came across one day where nuclear facility employees come to chat. Keep checking here -- someone might post something. I've learned some interesting things reading this occasionally.

www.nukeworker.com...

It seems there as a coolant leak into the containment tower, or is it a containment center? Anyway, a leak of 75 gallon per minute was supposedly the top flow today. I found it on Drudge Report. Didn't they receive an award for their safety in July '04? How could the inspectors have missed a potential problem such as this?

From the Drudge Report;


FLASH: Fermi 2 nuclear power plant in Michigan is shut down... 'We have a leak of reactor coolant into the containment structure... leak rate was about 75 gallons a minute but is reducing,' John Austerberry, spokesman... 'there is no indication of a radioactive release'... MORE...


www.drudgereport.com...

!!!

Coolant Leak at Fermi II Plant
By Action News Team
Web produced by Jenny Clark
January 24, 2005

State and county safety officials were called to the Fermi II nuclear plant in Monroe early Monday evening to investigate a coolant leak situation.

Michigan, Wayne and Monroe County authorities responded to what they called a "situation" within the plant around 6:00 p.m.

Minutes later, DTE officials confirmed that there were indications that there had been a leak of reactor coolant into the containment area. There were no evacuations at the plant, and there were no signs of any release of radiation.

Stay tuned to Action News for more on this developing story as it becomes available.

Better call Homer Simpson!!!

www.freep.com...
The reactor at the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant was shut down Monday evening after a coolant leak was detected, officials said. [...] the Monroe County plant was not evacuated and the leak posed no danger to the health or safety of plant workers or the public. [...] the plant was shut down without complications and nonessential workers were allowed to leave for the day.[...]
She added that the leaked coolant, which is mostly water, was not released into the environment.

Looks like that might explain why there was word of an evacuation.

75 gallons a minute is significant...they must have had a fairly big breach from the end fittings, which are where they transfer the fuel in and out of the reactor. We had something like that happen once when the fuelling machine was lowered while still attached.
It sounds like they would have to reduce reactor power and perhaps shut it down completely for the repairs.
The containment building is the concrete structure which encloses the reactor...the only way in or out is through airlocks because they keep the building under negative pressure.

[edit on 24-1-2005 by masqua]

Glad I don't live close to Fermi. Although, it doesn't sound like a big danger.
Here's the tie-in to ATSNN
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Pretty scary after watching tonight's episode of 24.

And right after terrorists take control of all the Nuclear reactors in the US on the Fox show 24 that just aired minutes ago.

Very scary.

Here's a little more info on the leak.

“We have several indications that it is not radioactive coolant,” Mr. Austerberry said several hours after the shutdown, but he was unable to give details about the basis for the initial assessment. “We believe it is a leak from a non-radioactive cooling system.”

www.toledoblade.com.../20050124/BREAKINGNEWS/50124013

Originally posted by thirddensity
Pretty scary after watching tonight's episode of 24.

And right after terrorists take control of all the Nuclear reactors in the US on the Fox show 24 that just aired minutes ago.

Very scary.

Yeah, I couldn't believe the coincidence of that. I was literally opening the news link to the Fermi 2 story when scenes showing nuclear plants scrawled across the tv screen as a preview of next week's episode.

I live about an hour from FERMI II. There was a leak. It has now been capped. They did shut down the reactor and it will be down for a couple of days to allow it to cool down so they can repair it. The only substance that leaked was highly purified water. No radioactive material escaped.

At least that is what the news says.