Radioactive water leaks at Minn. nuclear plant for 2nd time

Monticello, Minn.: Water containing a radioactive material has leaked for a second time from a nuclear plant near Minneapolis and the plant will be shut down, but there is no danger to the public, the plant’s owner said last Thursday.

A leak of what was believed to be hundreds of gallons of water containing tritium was discovered last week from a temporary fix at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, where 400,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of water with tritium leaked in November, Xcel Energy said in a statement Thursday.

The plant about 38 miles (61 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis is scheduled to power down last Friday so permanent repairs can begin, the company said.

There was a months-long delay in announcing the initial leak that raised questions about public safety and transparency, but industry experts said there was never a public health threat.

The new leak, announced a day after Xcel Energy says it was discovered, was found to be coming from a temporary fix to the original leak, the company said in a statement. This time, the leak is anticipated to be in the hundreds of gallons.

Image courtesy of (Image: NewsCenter1)

Share this post