Illinois nuclear reactor loses power, venting steam

[Cosmos]

BYRON, IL (AP) - Exelon Nuclear says a reactor at its Byron Generating Station has shut down after losing power, and steam is being vented to reduce pressure.

Plant operators declared an unusual event at 10:18 a.m. Monday when Unit 2 shut down after losing power from an off-site source.

They say the facility's generators are providing power to equipment, and the unit remains in safe condition.

Officials say Byron Station is designed to vent steam in the event of a power loss. They say the steam contains low levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope, but not at unsafe levels.

Officials say engineers are investigating why the unit lost offsite power. Unit 1 continues to operate normally.

Byron Generating Station is in Ogle County, about 95 miles northwest of Chicago.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Associated Press

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/300465/3/Illinois-nuclear-reactor-loses-power-venting-steam-

 

[Beau]

Coincidentally enough, their was a reported 2.4 mag earthquake in southern Wisconsin last night - http://fox6now.com/2012/01/31/2-4-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-wisconsin-illinois-border/ - a very rare occurrence for the area.

 

[Cosmos]

Coincidentally enough, their was a reported 2.4 mag earthquake in southern Wisconsin last night - http://fox6now.com/2012/01/31/2-4-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-wisconsin-illinois-border/ - a very rare occurrence for the area.

really ? how do you know that this is rare occurrence for the area ?
I'm just asking becouse I don't know and would like to know if this is really the case in that area

 

[Beau]

Coincidentally enough, their was a reported 2.4 mag earthquake in southern Wisconsin last night - http://fox6now.com/2012/01/31/2-4-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-wisconsin-illinois-border/ - a very rare occurrence for the area.

really ? how do you know that this is rare occurrence for the area ?
I'm just asking becouse I don't know and would like to know if this is really the case in that area

The location of the quake is in the Midwestern US, which is like the middle of the North American tectonic plate. Quakes are more likely to occur near fault lines, or areas where two plates converge. An example of that would be the San Andreas fault line that runs along the Pacific coast in California, where earthquakes are very common. I also know from having lived in the Midwest that it is an area that rarely gets hit with earthquakes.