Nuclear reactor at Indian Point plant in N.Y. shut down once more after leak found

Considered one of two reactor units at a nuclear strength plant close to Ny Metropolis has been taken offline for the second time in 4 months after leakage become located in a pipe that pumps water into the ability, officers stated Friday.

Reactor Unit 2 on the Indian Factor Strength Center in Buchanan, N.Y., changed into close down Thursday after discovery of the malfunction. officers said the leak was found in a non-radioactive a part ofthe plant.

Reactor No. 2 changed into close down — best a week after it had come back on lineso thatmaintenance employees should weld the pipe, which carries water from the close by Hudson River to the plant.”There is no ongoing leak and there has been no undertaking to safety,” Indian Factor‘s owner, Entergy, stated.

Plant officials said workers with The big apple utility organization Consolidated Edison, which previouslyowned and operated Unit 2, may even test a breaker while the reactor is offline.

officers said the leak was small, approximately one drop of water each five seconds.

The shutdown is the second one for Unit 2 considering that March, whilst inspectors ordered the reactor offline after locating nearly three hundred broken or cracked bolts throughout a “refueling outage” — aprocess that takes place as soon as each years. That closure lasted for 3 months, and the reactor wentback online June 16.

Unit 2 has been active due to the fact that 1974 however recurring issues have spurred calls from publicofficers, along with The big apple Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, for the plant’s permanent closure.

I am very worried that the Indian strength nuclear electricity reactor is, extra than ever before, a disasterwaiting to occur,” Sanders said in April. “For my part, we can’t take a seat idly via and wish that the unthinkable will never occur. We should take action to shut this plant down in a safe and accountableway.””The sudden shutdown of the reactor at Indian Factor 2 because of a weld leak is simply the latestexample of the repeated and continuing troubles on the plant,” Cuomo said in a statement Friday. “Inside the last year by myself, there has been unparalleled degradation of Indian Factor Unit 2 baffle-former bolts, groundwater infection, and extended NRC oversight at Unit three because of severa unplanned shutdowns. This is yet any other signal that the growing older and wearing away of essential additiveson the facility are having an instantaneous and unacceptable impact on protection, and is similarly proofthat the plant isn’t always a dependable technology aid.”

Unit 2 generates about 1,000 megawatts — enough strength for about 1 million houses in this vicinity, Entergy stated. The other reactor, Unit 3, is working at full electricity and has been on line continuouslyfor 191 days.

Saheli