Mar 1, 2007 6:41 am US/Eastern
Indian Point 2 Shuts Down Again
Power Level Stable After Cooling Water Levels Dropped Unexpectedly
BUCHANAN, N.Y. (CBS/AP) ―
Operators unexpectedly shut down the Indian Point 2 nuclear power plant for the fifth time in 15 months after water levels in its steam generators suddenly dropped below normal.
Repairs began Wednesday after the 6:33 a.m. incident, which was blamed on a faulty unit in the water-supply system.
Officials say the breakdown occurred in a building outside the containment dome and did not release any radioactivity.
It's the second malfunction at Indian Point 2 in less than a week. Workers discovered a cracked nuclear fuel rod in that reactor's spent-fuel pool Friday, halting a routine inspection.
A spokeswoman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which owns the 33-year-old nuclear power plant, said the utility hoped to be back on line Thursday.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
