[Fair use for education and research purpose only] May 15, 2000 - 11:59 AM

Title: Calif. Nuclear Reactor Shuts Down, Some Steam Released The Associated Press

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) - An electrical problem triggered an automatic shutdown of a reactor at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant early Monday, releasing steam that could contain tiny amounts of radioactivity, regulators said.

Such radioactivity would be well below federal limits, and "no impacts to public health and safety are anticipated," the Nuclear Regulatory Commission statement said.

No one was injured.

Diablo Canyon, a Pacific Gas & Electric facility with two nuclear reactors, is on California's central coast. Some 237,000 people live in surrounding San Luis Obispo County, including 43,000 in the nearby city of San Luis Obispo.

The problem began around 12:25 a.m. in electrical cabling inside the Unit 1 turbine generator building. That shut down the turbine, which lead to the shutdown of the Unit 1 reactor.

"Because the reactor tripped from full power, steam was released into the atmosphere," the NRC said. "The steam released could contain minute amounts of radioactivity well below the federal release limits."

The plant operators declared an "unusual event," the lowest level of NRC's four emergency classifications.

Reactor systems functioned properly during the shutdown and there were no significant complications, the NRC said. Plant operators were working to restore electrical power.

--- http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGIJZNEAA8C.html

===================

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 15, 2000

Answers

DIABLO CANYON 1 0% 05/14/00 Hot Shutdown
MAINTENANCE OUTAGE - UNUSUAL
EVENT ON 05/15/00 DUE TO FIRE &
LOSS OF OFFSITE POWER. REFER TO
EVENT #37001.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), May 16, 2000.