Nuclear plant shut down after small steam leak in Jenkinsville, S.C.
By Kyle Stock, The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Scana Corp. shut down its nuclear power plant in the Midlands Monday, immediately after discovering a small steam leak.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal body that keeps inspectors at
the facility full-time, said it was too early tell what caused the leak, and
whether the incident raised flags about the facility's condition.
"We're sort of piecing it back together," said Roger Hannah, a
regional spokesman for the NRC based in Atlanta. "It's not an immediate
safety issue, because they took the plant offline. But we want to make sure that
we understand the situation completely before we make any assessment of whether
it was a significant safety issue or not."
A plant worker discovered the leak shortly after midnight Sunday and Scana
initiated a rapid shutdown of the facility shortly thereafter.
Officials are unsure how long it will take to repair the leak, but they
estimate the plant will be up and running in a few days, according to company
spokeswoman Mary Green Brush.
Small leaks and ruptures are becoming more common at U.S. nuclear plants,
most of which are approaching the end of an initial 40-year period during which
they are permitted to operate.
Santee Cooper owns one-third of the V.C. Summer plant. Scana is in charge of
operating the facility. The plant generates about 20 percent of Scana's power on
average.
The Jenkinsville plant has had several such incidents in recent years,
including a radioactive coolant leak in March and a potentially more dangerous
leak in 2000.
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