Turkey Point Unit 4 nuclear reactor shut down

FPL has blamed a "small leak" of reactor coolant for the shutdown Friday of a nuclear unit at Turkey Point, according to news reports.

A report at Sun-Sentinel.com by Julie Patel, quoted FPL spokesman Mayco Villafana as saying the reactor was shut down "to repair a connection between two small pipes that lead to a valve. The valve is used for equipment testing when the unit is offline for refueling."

A report in the Miami Herald by John Dorschner said that the leak occurred on Unit 4 of the nuclear plant and caused the unit to be turned off through Sunday. The Herald story ("FPL nuclear reactor taken off-line") also said:

The event report filed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the shut-down was ''required by technical specifications'' after a leak developed from a "structural weld crack. . . . The cause of the crack is being evaluated.''

The full Herald Story can be read online at Everglades Earth First!