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Apr 7, 2007 7:44 am US/Eastern
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Indian Point Nuclear Plant Stable After Explosion
by Tony Aiello
BUCHANAN, N.Y. (CBS) ―
Investigators are working to determine the cause of Friday's explosion and fire on the grounds of the Indian Point nuclear energy center.
The incident forced the shut down of the Indian Point 3 nuclear reactor, and caused plant owner Entergy Nuclear Northeast to issue a "notice of unusual event."
Plant safety director Michael Slobodien said an electrical transformer exploded and caught fire near the reactor shortly after 11 a.m.
"It's in an area outside the nuclear part of the plant," Slobodien told reporters. "The plant shut down safely and is under control.
"Anytime you have something of this nature that affects a major component like the transformer, you would shut down for safety sake and to conduct an investigation," Slobodien said.
The transformer takes electricity from the reactor and feeds it to overhead power cables. It was protected by a sprinkler deluge system that automatically knocked down much of the fire, Slobodien said.
The plant's own fire brigade also worked to put out the fire. The Verplanck Fire Department sent several units to Indian Point to serve as mutual aid, but they were not needed.
Westchester County sent health workers to monitor air quality near the plant after the fire. The monitors detected no release of radiation, according to Tony Sutton, the county's Commissioner of Emergency Services.
"We always want to err on the side of caution," Sutton said. "That's why we dispatched a couple field teams to monitor air quality and check for radiation."
"We have nothing to indicate this had any impact at all on public health and safety."
Smoke from the fire was visible across the Hudson River in Rockland County, and prompted concerned calls from many residents.
Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef complained it took Entergy 30 minutes to notify the county of the event.
In Buchanan, many residents took the scare in stride.
"I didn't even really get scared when I saw the fire trucks," said Norma Barrett. "I just went with the flow."
The fire marked the fourth time since July that Indian Point 3 was forced to shut down. Critics said the problems illustrated the need for an independent safety analysis of the entire plant.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission downgraded the plant's safety rating after the fire, from green, the best rating, to white, one step lower. The commission said the plant would be under increased scrutiny for several weeks.
Operations at the Indian Point 2 generator were not affected, Entergy said.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)