New York nuclear reactor shuts down over water leak

An aging US nuclear reactor just north of New York City has been shut down over water leakamid calls by New York governor for permanent closure of the plant which has been plagued by problems in past years.

Nuclear control room operators at Indian Point nuclear plant in Buchanan removed Unit 2 reactor from service on Friday morning to complete weld repairs to a pipe that had been leaking “a small amount of Hudson River water,” said a statement by the plant’s operator, Entergy Corporation.

While the statement insisted that there was “no challenge to safety” in the 43-year-old plant, currently operating under a temporary license, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo referred to the development as the latest of persisting safety issues at the nuclear facility.

“The unexpected shutdown of the reactor at Indian Point 2 because of the weld leak is just the latest example of the repeated and continuing problems at the plant,” Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday.

Missing bolts

The democratic governor has repeatedly called for the closure of the troubled nuclear power plant, located 50 miles from the densely populated city.

“In the last year alone, there has been unprecedented degradation of Indian Point Unit 2 baffle-former bolts, groundwater contamination, and increased Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) oversight at Unit 3 due to numerous unplanned shutdowns.” 

“This is yet another sign that the aging and wearing away of important components at the facility are having a direct and unacceptable impact on safety, and is further proof that the plant is not a reliable generation resource,” he noted.

This is while Entergy just returned the Unit 2 reactor to service on June 16 ‒ despite objections from local lawmakers, residents and environmental organizations ‒ following a $120-million inspection and upgrade of plant equipment and systems after a shutdown in March.

According to local press reports, during the March shutdown, inspectors found out that more than 200 bolts needed further analysis, and some on the reactor’s inner liner were missing.

In the past 11 years, Indian Point has had nine incidents, including transformer fires and leaks in spent fuel pools. At one point, its reactor shut down because a bird was defecating on power lines.

Despite such mishaps, Entergy’s spokeswoman Patricia Kakridis stated earlier this year that the nuclear facility “is safe, and it is operating safely,” blaming “opposition groups” for delaying the plant’s license renewal.

Indian Point operates two nuclear power plants, Unit 2 and Unit 3, which generate roughly 2,000 megawatts of electricity for homes, business and public facilities in New York City and Westchester County.

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