WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT/Gray News) - A transformer fire triggered an “alert” Tuesday at Plant Vogtle in Georgia.
According to officials with Burke County, the alert ended at 2:36 p.m. Georgia Power said the fire was outside the nuclear portion of the plant and was extinguished quickly. utility transformer
Fires at nuclear power plants can be serious – not so much because of the reactor but because fires can cause a loss of power – and without power, the reactor’s cooling systems could fail.
The alert was first declared at around noon Tuesday, according to the company.
Officials said no one was hurt and the plant was at full power.
Among the four categories of emergencies designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an alert is the second least serious.
The incident happened at Units 1 and 2, the older part of the plant, according to the company.
From outside the plant grounds Tuesday afternoon, steam was coming from all four cooling towers.
An alert “means an event has occurred that could reduce the plant’s level of safety,” the company said in a statement.
“There should be no danger to the public. County and state officials will be involved and prepared for any necessary response. You will not need to take any actions unless directed to by state and local officials,” the company said.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as state and local agencies were notified of the declaration.
“Our top priority is the safety and health of the public and our employees,” said Units 1 and 2 Site Vice President John Weissinger. “We will provide more details as soon as they are available, and we will continue to do so until this situation is safely resolved.”
The statement continued: “The company is committed to the safe operation of our nuclear-generating facility with equipment and systems that meet strict NRC safety and design regulations. Our highly trained plant operators are investigating this situation and initiating a plan for resolution.”
The Burke County Emergency Management Agency also reported the alert.
“We have been notified of an ALERT level emergency declared at Plant Vogtle,” the agency posted on Facebook around 1 p.m. Tuesday. “An Alert level emergency means: an event has occurred that could reduce the plant’s level of safety. There should be no danger to the public.”
The agency added: “NO PROTECTIVE ACTIONS ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME. Please stay tuned for any future updates.”
It’s only been weeks since the newest unit opened at the plant – seven years late and well over budget.
Units 1 and 2 have been operating at the plant for decades, while Units 3 and 4 have been under construction in recent years.
Unit 3 began operation about a year ago and then Unit 4 went online in April. They’re the first new nuclear reactors in the U.S. in over 30 years.
The expansion project’s overall cost, including financing, was listed in December as $31 billion for Georgia Power and three other owners. Add in $3.7 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to walk away from construction, and the total nears $35 billion.
Georgia Power owns 45.7% of the reactors. Smaller shares are owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton. Some Florida and Alabama utilities have also contracted to buy Vogtle’s power.
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