http://www.newsday.com/...
BYRON, Ill. (AP) -- A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear and federal regulators.
Unit 2 at Byron Generating Station shut down around 10:18 a.m., after losing power from an off-site source, Exelon officials said. Diesel generators began supplying power to the plant equipment and operators began releasing steam from the non-nuclear side of the plant to help cool the reactor, officials said.
Even though the turbine is not turning to produce electricity, "you still need to cool the equipment." said U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng. Releasing steam helps "take away some of that energy still being produced by nuclear reaction but that doesn't have anywhere to go now."
The steam contains low levels of radioactive tritium, but the levels are safe for workers and the public, federal and plant officials said.
Unit 1 was operating normally while engineers investigate why Unit 2 lost power, which comes into the plant from the outside power grid, Mitlyng said. Smoke was seen from an onsite station transformer, she said, but no evidence of a fire was found when the plant's fire brigade responded
http://www.scribd.com/...
BYRON, Ill.(January 30, 2012) – Operators at Byron Generating Station declared an Unusual Event at 10:18 a.m.CT, due to the loss of offsite power and Unit 2 coming offline.The nuclear facility’s diesel generators activated as designed to provide power to the facility when there is a loss of offsite power to the facility. The facility remains in a safe condition. Station engineering experts are looking intothe cause of the loss of offsite power.Byron Station is designed to depressurize to reduce steam pressure as part of the many redundant safety systemsbuilt into the facility. Steam from the unit is released through safety relief valves that are specifically designed forthis purpose. The steam, which will evaporate quickly, contained expected levels of tritium. Local residents maysee or hear the steam release in progress, which will continue throughout the day until the unit cools down. Thesetypes of station releases are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.There is no health or safety impact to workers or to the public from the release, and Exelon Nuclear has notified allappropriate local, state and federal officials of the Unusual Event. An Unusual Event is the lowest of four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission.Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen with a weak level of radioactivity. It is formed naturally in the upper atmosphere,is a component of rain and is found in virtually all of earth’s surface water. Tritium is produced in greaterconcentrations in commercial nuclear reactors and is routinely discharged into the environment under strictregulatory guidelines. Tritium eventually breaks down into helium.Byron’s Unit 1 continues to supply clean electricity to Exelon customers.Byron Generating Station is in Ogle County, Ill., about 25 miles southwest of Rockford.
THis plant is located about 100 miles due west of Chicago. Whatever radioactive contamination is emitted from this plant will waft over the City of Chicago.
If this plant does a Fukushima, it would be a disaster for Chicago.
4:13 PM PT: Link to Exelon spokesman questioned by reporter:
http://www.wrex.com/... Byron Exelon Statement&flvUri=&partnerclipid=