Two Nebraska Nuclear Plants Partially Submerged by Missouri Floodwaters
FAA issues 'No Fly Zones' due to 'hazards'
[Photo: Missouri River floodwaters surround Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Plant]
Ignored by the Mainstream Media two nuclear power facilities in Nebraska which were designated temporary restricted no fly zones by the FAA in early June due to ‘hazards’. The FAA restrictions, ‘effectively immediately’, ‘until further notice’. The Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant, currently sandbagged against the floodwaters of the Missouri River, and, the Cooper Nuclear Station, located on the Missouri River. According to the NRC, there’s no need to panic. If so, then why the No Fly Zones due to ‘hazards’ issued by the FAA?
Video footage from local intrepid news reporters who chartered a boat to survey the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant, KMZB Action News:
Video news report from local NBC 6 on the Ft. Calhoun Power Plant and the massive amount of farm land flooded by the Missouri River. According to a local farmer worried about the levees, ‘We need the Corps-Army Corps of Engineers–to do more. The Corps needs to tell us what to do and where to go. This is not mother nature, this is manmade.’
On June 6, 2011, the report from Action Three News, Worst Case Scenario Leaves Huge Piece of Omaha Under Water:
Omaha, NE – Homes and businesses north of Ames, east of Florence Boulevard and east of South 16th Street are at risk for flooding if the north Omaha levee breaks. The Qwest Center, Gallup Campus, North Omaha Power Plant and all of Eppley Airfield would be affected. That’s about 2,700 people the city would have to evacuate.
Even though officials are confident in the levees through Omaha, they still want people to know about the risk and be prepared for the worst case scenario. City leaders say the worst case would put a huge part of northeast Omaha in up to 10 feet of water. This is one of many reasons why officials monitor it so closely.
On June 6, 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration put into effect ‘temporary flying restrictions’–until further notice–over the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant in Blaine, Nebraska.
[Photo: FAA Ft. Calhoun restricted flying area map]
On June 16, 2011, local ABC News NTV Nebraska reported Radioactive Releases Not Expected at Omaha Nuclear Power Plant:
[Snip]
Officials at the Omaha Public Power District say there have been no releases of radioactive material since flooding from the Missouri River caused them to declare a low-level emergency June 6 at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant.
The emergency level, declared as “a notification of an unusual event,” is the lowest possible of four standard emergency classifications set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and, as of now, there has been no risk to the public.
Officials say they have sandbagged the area surrounding the plant to a level greater than what the projected water levels will reach, and that they do not expect any release of radioactivity.
On June 7, 2011, the FAA issued temporary flying restrictions until further notice above the Cooper Nuclear Station located on the Missouri River near Brownsville, NE.
[Photo: Cooper Nuclear Station, FAA 'No Fly Zone' Map]
On June 14, 2011, the report Cooper Nuke Plant Will Get More NRC Oversight:
[Snip]
NRC inspectors said some of the station’s procedures for manually operating valves – which are part of system for releasing coolants under high pressure – wouldn’t work in the event of a fire. The independent emergency cooling system is one means available to provide water to cool the reactor in case of an emergency.
“Fire protection programs are a critical component in plant safety and the NRC is paying special attention to ensure [Cooper] takes actions to fully correct this issue,” according to Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins.
According to an informative post at the site The People’s Voice, the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant and the Cooper Nuclear station are ‘partially submerged’ by Missouri floodwaters.
[Snip]
On June 7, the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant filed an Alert with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after a fire broke out in the switchgear room. During the event, “spent fuel pool cooling was lost” when two fuel pumps failed for about 90 minutes.
On June 9, Nebraska’s other plant, Cooper Nuclear Power Station near Brownville, filed a Notice of Unusual Event (NOUE), advising it is unable to discharge sludge into the Missouri River due to flooding, and therefore “overtopped” its sludge pond.
Why the media blackout? Not allowing photographs from the air for a radius of 2 miles tells me that the power company is hiding something. Just like Japan which kept downplaying the condition.
The condition in Japan is worse now than ever was.
This is why We The People no longer trust Corporate America.
A quarter mile no fly zone would be more than adequate to insure no airplane accidents. These people are obviously hiding something. Tell us what is happening Allow TV coverage into the area.
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Slugabug Reply:
June 18th, 2011 at 11:22
The no fly zone is to allow emergency supplies to be flown in without having to worry about colliding with news helicopters and every yahoo that owns a Cessna. At this point and time, that is more important than some blathering idiot on TV having an air shot. The NRC is kind of funny about stuff like that.
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ieo Reply:
June 20th, 2011 at 04:21
Yeah right. Then why forbid everyone on the ground too? Arrested for photos? A bozo like you learned nothing from Katrina or the BP oil spill.
“National security threat”=coverup. Wake up.
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More “Order out of Chaos.” The slogan of the New World Order. They will play this…….”Oh it just took us by surprise……..We never expected…………” Many do trust the media……unfortunately those people are in a waking dream…unaware of the big picture… Winslow said it quite nicely…….
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the “hazard’s” being referenced by the FAA…are to the FUEL POOLS…CONFIRMED to be without COOLING FOR SEVERAL HOURS !
(0_0)
FUKUSHIMA….eat your heart out.
2012 looks right on time.
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Of course, it could simply be a matter of common sense that having lots of news helicopters – not the most reliable form of aviation known to man – buzzing around over a reactor isn’t perhaps the safest practice imaginable.
One point your story fails to mention….the reactor isn’t running. It was taken off line in April for refuelling and it’s periodic inspection, and has been in a state of cold shutdown for the last couple of months. Or that the ponds contain no recently removed fuel – whish is what matters in terms of heat generation.
All in all, an “epic fail” – a nice exercise in trying to raise hysteria, but not one that measures up to reality.
Andy Dawson, UK (and a former nuclear engineer on our Heysham and Torness nuclear plants)
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Michael Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 10:02
The shutdown for refueling was March 13th and startup was May 7th
http://www.kbia.org/news/despite-flooding-cooper-nuclear-power-plant-will-continue-to-operate
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jimmy Reply:
July 1st, 2011 at 18:24
I suppose that if the reactor is shut down, it must be completely safe. The used fuel rods must not need to be cooled for upwards of a year before entering interim storage, silly me. No reason for hysteria here.
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Tim Fricke Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 12:50
Yes, the plant was “shut down” for refueling. That doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a threat there. If you worked for a Nuclear power plant you would know that the spent rods are still “Highly” radioactive and still give off a hugh amount of Heat. And they continue to give off heat for months if not years. So the fact that the cooling pumps went down “IS” a big deal. Fukashima was also “Shut down” at the time of the earth quake. It also lost power to the cooling pumps. And we all know what happen after that. This is something that should be carefully monitored. Especially since the Missouri river is expected to rise another 5 to 7 feet.
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Andy Dawson Reply:
June 20th, 2011 at 10:31
Michael,
We’re discussing Calhoun, aren’t we? Which remains shut down.
Tim Fricke,
As to “If you worked for a Nuclear power plant you would know that the spent rods are still “Highly” radioactive and still give off a hugh amount of Heat.”
It rather depends what you call a “huge amount” of heat.
Well, a 500MWe (about 1500MWth) plant closed down in April – assuming that it was running at full power right up to the moment is shutdown on the 9th April, and had run flat out for 2 years, which is the “worst case” – would (today) be generating a heady 1.6MW. That’s on the ANS standard decay heat calculation model, which seems to have served rather well since its adoption in 1971.
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/mragheb/www/NPRE%20457%20CSE%20462%20Safety%20Analysis%20of%20Nuclear%20Reactor%20Systems/Decay%20Heat%20generation%20in%20Fission%20Reactors.pdf
Which, assuming a flooded containment holding about 5,000 cubic metres of water – pretty typical for a plant of its age – would take about a week, to raise water at 50C – pretty typical for this stage of a shutdown – to boiling, assuming no heat loss at all to the surroundings. In fact, you’ll find that losing 1.6MW through the walls of a submerged pressure vessel requires a lesser heat flux than you probably get from the water heater of your domestic central heating system.
That’s hardly a situation on a “knife edge” to me.
I wish people would learn to do some basic math(s) before they start trying to make comments.
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Truth can’t be concealed by spin. The ugly reports coming out of Japan now are horrifying. MELT THROUGH instead of MELT DOWN. These reactors are all designed by American companies who cut corners for profit on something this important. Collateral damage, a war term, is used by corporations to turn people into numbers like Jesus turned water to wine. A corporate miracle to consider people just things to be traded an owned. Disgusting and the NEW MADRID FAULTLINE, keep your eye on that story. We are in big trouble from stupid decisions!
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So we are all counting on the numerous earthen berms north of the nuclear power plants to hold their water for the rest of the summer. It couldn’t happen here, you said.
How sad!
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We are maybe 10 miles north of the power plant in BLAIR. The plant itself is located on the flooding Missouri in Fort Calhoun.
I wonder if they will explain publicly why they had an electrical fire which affected their ability to cool the rods!
Bad or poor maintenance (cost cutting)? Laid off the old dude who had the most experience to save money? Or something ‘planned’ by evil doers?
WILL WE EVER FIND OUT!?
Washington County paper doing a good job of coverage (Blair bridge to Iowa possible closing? city water treatment plant to shut down?)
http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/
Omaha paper seems to mostly care about where the baseball playoffs are going to take place.
http://www.omaha.com/
College World Series is the lead front page article on the web site today.
Much infrastructure (highways, water treatment, industry) on ‘bottom land’ in addition to miles and miles of farmland. I suppose it was ‘cheaper’ to build on the flat, but any fool can view a topographical map and see where the river has flowed over the years.
F.
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Frances Reply:
June 19th, 2011 at 14:04
A friend has informed me that electrical systems that GET WET can CATCH FIRE.
Perhaps a flooding basement (lower levels of plant) where the electrical systems are located is the cause?
Latest news articles indicate ‘there is nothing to worry about’. !!! ???
http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/oppd-nuclear-station-safe-and-will-continue-to-be-safe/article_2dc69562-9925-11e0-9a41-0019bb30f31a.html
OPPD president Gary Gates addresses the media at a press conference on Friday, June 17.
“The Fort Calhoun station is safe and will continue to be safe in these flooding issues,” said OPPD Chief Nuclear Officer David Bannister at a press conference Friday. “We are in a safe configuration and will be for weeks to come.”
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Thanks for the (comments) link to my blog.
I am trying to keep up with nuke disasters in Japan and Neb.
I ususally use Google News (they hide the news!) with key words. Then I do a left sidebar sort-by-date since Google will put up a bunch of nothing corp. hedline on the first try.
I am having better luck with You Tube.
You enter the search word and when the list comes up you go to the upper right side and do a DO-OVER with ‘most recent’. Then you hit a few good vids. Comments on the videos are often useful too.
A SHAME we have to ferret out NEWS ourselves like this!
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[...] Over Crippled Nebraska Nuclear PlantSalem-News.ComBusiness Insider -Energy Collective -DBKP – Death By 1000 Papercutsall 295 news [...]
The Ft. Calhoun Nuclear station was down for a regularly scheduled re-fueling back in the middle of April of this year. During that downtime, the USACE alerted the U.S. NRC and the local plant operators of the high probability of flooding within the next 6 to 8 weeks.
Both the NRC officials and local plant operators decided to keep the plant off-line and in what they call a “cold-shutdown” whereby the reactor vessle temperature is kept at 200 degrees farenheit and reactor vessle pressure is maintained at atmospheric pressure of 14 psi.
This was reported in the Omaha World Herald newspaper today, Friday 17 JUN 11. http://www.omaha.com/
Full disclosure: I do not work at the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Station, the Omaha Public Power District who owns and operates the plant, nor the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. I am a citizen of Omaha and have lived within a 21 mile radius of the plant for over 36 years. I am not a proponent of nuclear energy nor am I a militant opponent of it. I do not drink ANYBODYS “Kool-Aid”.
That being said, as a healthy skeptic of all things B.S., and an inhabitant of Omaha living within contamination range of the Ft.Calhoun Nuclear Station – I currently have high confindence in what the Omaha Public Power District is publicly reporting. Additionally, if there was an unreported significant nuclear emergency in and around the plant, no-one could keep that secret. There would be a very noticable change in the pattern of activity in and out of the plant that would be easily noticed by local private citizens and media. That currently just does not exist.
The reason for the TFR in the airspace above the nuclear plant(s) is to preclude heavy local sight seeing air traffic above the plant that could – quite conceivably – result in a collison of air craft that could then impact the nuclear containment structure below. Keep in mind that the Ft. Calhoun nuclear station lies very close and just east of the north approach / departure route of Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, and Class ‘C’ airspace.
Please do not hype rumors.
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The Ft. Calhoun Nuclear station was down for a regularly scheduled re-fueling back in the middle of April of this year. During that downtime, the USACE alerted the U.S. NRC and the local plant operators of the high probability of flooding within the next 6 to 8 weeks.
Both the NRC officials and local plant operators decided to keep the plant off-line and in what they call a “cold-shutdown” whereby the reactor vessle temperature is kept at 200 degrees farenheit and reactor vessle pressure is maintained at atmospheric pressure of 14 psi.
The spent-fuel cooling pool is thirteen feet above the expected crest of the Missouri flood waters.
This was reported in the Omaha World Herald newspaper today, Friday 17 JUN 11. http://www.omaha.com/
Full disclosure: I do not work at the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Station, the Omaha Public Power District who owns and operates the plant, nor the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. I am a citizen of Omaha and have lived within a 21 mile radius of the plant for over 36 years. I am not a proponent of nuclear energy nor am I a militant opponent of it. I do not drink ANYBODYS “Kool-Aid”.
That being said, as a healthy skeptic of all things B.S., and an inhabitant of Omaha living within contamination range of the Ft.Calhoun Nuclear Station – I currently have high confindence in what the Omaha Public Power District is publicly reporting. Additionally, if there was an unreported significant nuclear emergency in and around the plant, no-one could keep that secret. There would be a very noticable change in the pattern of activity in and out of the plant that would be easily noticed by local private citizens and media. That currently just does not exist.
The reason for the TFR in the airspace above the nuclear plant(s) is to preclude heavy local sight seeing air traffic above the plant that could – quite conceivably – result in a collison of air craft that could then impact the nuclear containment structure below. Keep in mind that the Ft. Calhoun nuclear station lies very close and just east of the north approach / departure route of Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, and Class ‘C’ airspace.
Please do not hype rumors.
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In regards to the REPORTED ‘temporary electrical failure’ at the Ft.Calhoun facility:
If those of you who are contending that there is a nefarious plot afoot by the Omaha Public Power District, plant workers, or the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to cover up some event that was much more grave and extreme then a temporary electrical failure…….how can you possibly ever muster the ability to go to sleep ANY NIGHT when you consider all that they might not have reported since the plant began operation in 1974? Why would they even bother to publicly report the event in the first place?
Again, please see my previous posting for my full personal disclosure – I AM wary of the use of nuclear material for power generation but, I do not waste my time or physical and mental health worrying about what really amounts to baseless nonsense.
I mean no disrespect to those with a differing opinion but I truly do not understand the position you’re taking.
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If I were you, study the issue. And DO NOT be confident in any one else reporting. Big mistake.
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Yes, the residual energy in the reactor and spent fuel ponds leads to quite rapid heat-up.
Look at the data for Fukishima 5 & 6, which hace been ‘shut down’ for longer than those in the USA flood sites:
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/images/11061906_temp_data_56u-e.pdf
These charts show that the reactors and teh spent fuel ponds will be up to 100C about 48 hours after the pumps fail, and in real trouble shortly thereafter.
Not pretty.
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Related opinion piece that will ‘curl your hair’.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_2b1eeca2-e701-51dd-83c2-f7bcc81845a4.html
Guest commentary: The looming Missouri dam flood
By Bernard Shanks | Posted: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 12:00 am
Excerpt:
There is very real threat of a flood that will leave St. Louis in chest-high water. The reason: Six old, huge, faulty dams that normally have reserve space for spring snow melt are nearly full now — before the spring floods start. Floodgates that haven’t been opened in 50 years have begun to open. Flooding has begun. And the human and economic toll could be ghastly.
Bernard Shanks, an adviser to the Resource Renewal Institute, has studied the six main-stem Missouri River dams for more than four decades. He has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey and served as director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He has written three books on public land policy and is completing a book on the hazards of the Missouri River dams.
===
If you want the ‘other side’, you can review this:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_82094e53-cde0-5cdd-916a-26a04a8d2e72.html
Army Corps of Engineers defends handling of Missouri River
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[...] on a announcement, we can find any series of online reports claiming all from a plant already being “partially submerged” by inundate waters to “radiation detection” to a “‘total and [...]
[...] on a announcement, we can find any series of online reports claiming all from a plant already being “partially submerged” by inundate waters to “radiation detection” to a “‘total and [...]
I’m pretty sure nobody’s been arrested for photos. A family friend of mine has dozens of pictures of the flooded plant from a week and a half ago. You can drive past it on Highway 75 and see it down in the valley just fine.
Investigating is great. Fearmongering is ridiculous.
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FT Calhoun
The river in the area has been full of lookey loos in planes taking pictures of flood water. Less chance of an accident if they are not allowed to fly over the plant.
The ground based restrictions are likely a new perimeter established that they can patrol. The normal security measures are under water. (at least in Ft Calhoun). You would need a boat to get any closer than that anyway.
I live 10 miles from this plant, have family that has worked there for 30 years. Nothing is wrong (right now). They do have potential for issue with the high water, but are still shut down from re-fueling.
Tighten up the old tinfoil hats a bit, they are slipping.
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Maybe you can help with another concern.
One common mode of damage in flooding is that pressure from expanding soil can warp, shift and damage foundations and crack buildings open.
If the fuel pools crack open and the water drained out, would it be safe to let them air cool?
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In every country where there have been nuclear incidents, the industry has constantly lied about the nature and severity of the problem, until they can’t lie anymore.
I don’t personally know anyone that assumes that the industry or the government is truthful. do you folks from the industry actually believe that anyone thinks you’re credible?
I’d like to trust what you say, but hundreds of liars from the industry have come before you, to establish your lack of credibility.
The only way to find out if you’re telling the truth, is to let events play out. If one of these plants experiences another event as the flood waters rise, then we’ve established that you’re all liars. If nothing happens, then you might no be liars, or you may be liars. Logically, we can’t know. Because everything in your industry is secret until something goes wrong, and we find out you’ve been lying to us.
Look at Tepco. Everything was under control. You engineers said there is no danger. Then explosions happened, and you folks were saying it’s no big deal. Now we find out that the radiation released the first week was double what you folks were saying was the total estimated release.
You say trust us, we lie to you a lot, but only tinfoil hat wearers don’t trust liars.
You people tell lies. I’m fine with not trusting you. I’ll wear the tinfoil hat.
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Omaha Sandbagger, right, as this progresses, if there is information being concealed and it’s more dire than being reported, then we’ll find out when something explodes.
You’ll hear from where you are.
The workers face the very real prospect of reprisals if they leak any information on this plant. I’m sure that they understand that they better be willing to make sacrifices if they leak any information on what’s going on. If found out, they could lose their livelihood. They’d be out of the nuclear industry for life.
If it’s bad enough though, and see the families of the workers, quietly leaving town in the dark of the night, you might suspect something is up.
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How about they are protecting folks from getting nuked in case of an accident?
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OPPD (Omaha Power) sends an ‘evacuation map’ flyer to local homes every year. It gives information on what to do if an emergency is declared. So from that respect, plans are in place. A friend of mine is a bus monitor in Blair NE and they are issued those nuke dose meter tags (they drive staff in buses as cars can’t get to Calhoun).
NEW ARTICLE BY AP RESEARCHING NUKE POWER JUST OUT
AP IMPACT: US nuke regulators weaken safety rules
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/20/national/main20072497.shtml PART 1
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/20/national/main20072497_page2.shtml PART 2
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jnlxtxW2oDWrH5uizepE8mYnk3XA?docId=18e04eb81cd043508b5cf59d14a4ed41
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[...] [...]
[...] into the Missouri River due to flooding, and therefore "overtopped" its sludge pond. http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2011/06/two-nebraska-nuclear-plants-partially-submerged-by-missouri-... Bin Laden's No. 2: Muslims will destroy America By BEN HUBBARD, Associated Press Ben Hubbard, [...]
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Ummm…this story isn’t exactly true. Two of my cousins work at Cooper Nuclear in Brownville, NE. The plant is built much higher than the flood plain and is not submerged at all. The road they normally take to get there is submerged but the plant is not. They are staying in the dorms at Peru State College since the bridge across the river is closed, but they are still working at the plant. Don’t you think that if something was afoul that one of these employees would have anonymously leaked something to someone?
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NRC’s website has nothing, no info at all about the situation at Ft. Calhoun as of July 1. Transparency? I suppose we will find out what’s going on when we start to glow.
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