Flooded Omaha nuke plant now on emergency power
The flooding Missouri River has swamped a berm at the Fort Calhoun reactor plant, and the electrical transformers at the plant have been knocked out. And so now they're on backup diesel generators.
After that, it's batteries.
After that, it's iodine pills.
But as the government is quick to tell everybody, there's nothing to worry about. Honest.
UPDATE, 3:01 p.m.: The reason the "aqua-berm" failed? Plant workers accidentally deflated it. But it's fine. They've got this under control. Really.
UPDATE, 4:53 p.m.: "The operators later reconnected to off-site power once all the safety checks were made."
| Posted at 12:37 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (11)
Who could have imagined that a flood with too much water could impact a nuke plant?
Who could have predicted that rivers might flood this year?
Posted by Harry | June 26, 2011 1:39 PM
Can we count the direct contradictions in the story?
"..the river is not expected to rise higher than the level the plant was designed to handle."
"Water surrounded the auxiliary and containment buildings at the plant"
"...the power supply was cut after water surrounded the main electrical transformers,"
" Emergency generators powered the plant until an off-site power supply was connected..."
So add in a wee earth quake, barge, or wave action and we will hear how that just could not have been foreseen. But no worries, obviously there is abundant cooling water, and if things that could never happen, like nuclear contaminate release, it will all be safely diluted and settle in the silt from there on down to the Gulf of Mexico!
Posted by dman | June 26, 2011 2:04 PM
I keep having this image of Hercules cleaning the stables by diverting a river through them...only the stables turn into fuel storage ponds, and it doesn't end well.
Posted by Old Zeb | June 26, 2011 2:33 PM
It's a good thing there's no chance of a tornado in Omaha this time of year.
Posted by Jack Bog | June 26, 2011 2:35 PM
When I was a kid in Illinois, sand-bagging along the Mississippi was part of the school curriculum. Same thing for kids along the Missouri. Hey! I know! Let's put a nuke plant there!
Posted by Max | June 26, 2011 3:26 PM
Here are seven good reasons to kick nuclear power to the curb.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0317/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Seven-reasons-why-we-should-abandon-nuclear-power/Accidents-and-population-centers
Sorry,... I still can't figure out that hyper-link thingy!
Posted by Bad Brad | June 26, 2011 5:20 PM
Jack,
Ask and you shall receive...
Tornado Warning 18 Miles to the north of the Plant as of a half hour ago on the Iowa side of the river in Harrison County.
Very turbulent night this evening with Straight Line Winds, heavy rain (just what we don't need) and hail.
Nebraska..."The Good Life"
Posted by PDXileinOmaha | June 26, 2011 6:52 PM
Jack,
We best breakout the Bojack Storm Tracker 2011 this evening here in the Heartland. Doppler ain't quite cutting it...
Posted by PDXileinOmaha | June 26, 2011 6:56 PM
Firefighters are being brought in to attack the wildfires that are encroaching the Los Alamos reservation.
And Three Mile Island is a grand 26 feet way from being Three Mile sand bar -- and it was built to withstand a 6.0 earthquake.
Do not fear.
Posted by Newleaf | June 27, 2011 7:03 AM
Meanwhile, back in Japan, folks are peeing radioactive urine...
From Japan Times:
More than 3 millisieverts of radiation has been measured in the urine of 15 Fukushima residents of the village of Iitate and the town of Kawamata, confirming internal radiation exposure, it was learned Sunday.
Both are about 30 to 40 km from the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, which has been releasing radioactive material into the environment since the week of March 11, when the quake and tsunami caused core meltdowns.
Posted by Max | June 27, 2011 11:01 AM
Just found a fairly recent book on the shelf:
"America's Nuclear Wastelands" by Max Power, someone you might have met while sitting on the Hanford Cleanup Board.
Timely, what?
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | June 27, 2011 11:21 PM