Just In: “Explosion inside a protected area” at U.S. nuke plant, says local official near Philadelphia — “No impact on public health” says NRC
By ENENews
July 18th, 2012
Title: ‘Unusual event’ reported at Limerick power plant
Source: The Mercury
Date: July 18, 2012
[…]
According to Frank Custer, communications director with Montgomery County [~25 miles from Philadelphia, PA], the county received an email from Exelon, parent company of the [Limerick] nuclear power plant, stating that an explosion had occurred causing the “unusual event,” in Unit 1 but the event did not pose any threat to the public.
Custer said the notice reported the “unusual event” had been terminated.
A call placed to the Limerick Generating Station’s media relations spokesperson was not picked up or returned as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Further details were not available.
Title: Unit offline at Limerick power station, public not at risk
Source: ABC 27 WHTM
Author: Sari Heidenreich
Date: Jul 18, 2012 1:03 PM EDT
[…]
Company spokesman Dana Melia said the electrical disturbance caused a loss of power to generator cooling equipment.
He said Unit 1 will remain offline until repairs, inspections and testing can be completed.
[…]
Melia said that as a result of the electrical disturbance, an “Unusual Event” was declared at 8:39 a.m. and terminated at 9:46 a.m. An Unusual Event is the lowest of four Nuclear Regulatory Commission emergency classifications.
[…]
“We did get an alert that there was an unusual event over there … there was an explosion inside a protected area of Unit 1, but it does not affect public safety,” said Frank Custer, communications director for Montgomery County.
“This is not an explosion like you would normally think,” said Diane Screnci, senior public affairs officer for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Philadelphia. “It’s more like when your house trips a circuit.”
[…]
Title: ‘No impact on public health and safety’ in southeastern Pa. nuclear plant reactor shutdown, federal agency says
Source: The Express-Times
Author: Kurt Bresswein
Date: July 18, 2012
[…]
The Limerick Generating Station entered into what the commission terms an unusual event, commission spokeswoman Diane Screnci said.
“It is stable and there was no impact on public health and safety,” Screnci said, referring to the Unit 1 reactor.
[…]
“It’s my understanding that the company’s working to better understand what happened and why it happened and to fix whatever needs to be fixed and prevent a recurrence, and the NRC inspectors will be observing their activities during that time,” Screnci said.
[…]
