Nuclear plants 'not affected' by US earthquake

Friday, 18 April 2008

An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 that occurred near the border of Illinois and Indiana today had no serious affect on nuclear power plants. 

 

Braidwood (Image: Exelon)

A spokesman for Exelon, wihch has six nuclear power sites in Illinois, said none were affected. "Plant equipment continued to function normally at each of the six operating nuclear stations. Station operators and technical experts conducted extensive pre-planned inspections when the seismic activity occurred," said the representative, according to the US Nuclear Energy Institute's blog.

 

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at 4.37am about 7 km from Bellmont, Illinois - about 206 km east of St. Louis in the neighbouring state of Missouri. Exelon said the power of the earthquake at magnitude 5.2 was "not enough to challenge the engineered design of any of the plants."

 

Exelon's six nuclear power sites in Illinois (Quad Cities, Byron, Dresden, Braidwood, Clinton and La Salle) host 11 reactors between them. All the units continued to operate at their normal power level throughout the morning, said Exelon, and staff conducted several 'walk-downs' to check for potential effects. Workers were able to confim during the morning that there had been no damage.