Nebraska Nuclear Power Plants Missouri River Flood Conditions

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OPPD Dispels Nuclear Meltdown Rumors In Ft. Calhoun
June 18, 2011

The image that the governor saw reached the Internet and had led to a wave of rumors. But Omaha Public Power District officials said the images don't tell the whole story. They said the flood water pumped into a giant donut around the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant was put there to keep flood water out. Officials called it an "aqua berm." The OPPD showed videos taken almost two weeks ago to demonstrate the efforts to keep the facility dry.

[Video stills below.]

"I want (people) to understand the plant is safe (and) will continue to be safe," said Dave Bannister, an OPPD nuclear plant officer.

Officials said on Friday that the plant is on the lowest emergency status, but they are prepared if it rises another 10 feet.

"We have a lot of margin of where we are today. And, if things were to progress, we still have margins and actions to be able to address that," Bannister said.

Officials said they also want to dispel the rumors going around the Internet about a possible nuclear meltdown. OPPD Chief Executive Officer Gary Gates said, "It's frustrating because some of the information is not right."

In April, OPPD asked for a no fly zone over the plant because they shut down the reactor for routine refueling.

"It has nothing to do with radiation. There is no release of radiation from the site," Bannister said.

Officials said the situation is totally different than the nuclear power plant in Japan that was hit by both earthquake and tsunami. They said they are confident with weeks they've had to prepare.

"I can assure you a Fukushima event will not occur at Fort Calhoun," Gates said.

OPPD said they will not restart the reactor until the river stabilizes.

This photo shows the Aqua Dam protecting Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station.
http://www.oppdstorminfo.blogspot.com/

Walkways are necessary to bridge the height of the Aqua Dams at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station.
http://www.oppdstorminfo.blogspot.com/

On the river side of the AquaDam, levels are stabilizing as the latest increase in releases from Gavins Point Dam reaches the site.
http://www.oppdstorminfo.blogspot.com/

Note the AquaDam encircling the facility inside the perimeter fence. (AquaDam is a tube filled with water for flood control. See second photo following.)

Protected by an AquaDam, the Administration Building at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station awaits rising Missouri River waters. June 10, 2011.
http://www.oppdstorminfo.blogspot.com/

Aerial photos of the nuclear plant are sparse due to FAA flight restrictions over the plant imposed June 6, 2011. http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_6523.html NOTAM : 1/6523 FDC 1/6523 ZMP FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS FORT CALHOUN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT BLAIR,NE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.137(A)(3) TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR FLOOD RELIEF EFFORTS WITHIN A 2 NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF 413113N/0960438W OR THE OMAHA /OVR/ VORTAC 316 DEGREE RADIAL AT 26.1 NAUTICAL MILES AT AND BELOW 3500 FEET MSL. NEBRASKA STATE PATROL, LT. FRANK PECK TELEPHONE 402-450-1867 IS IN CHARGE OF THE OPERATION. MINNEAPOLIS /ZMP/ ARTCC TELEPHONE 651-463-5580 IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY.

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Administration building, upper left. Independent Spent Fuel Storage Casks, right.

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Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, Blair, NE, FEMA Flood Maps

An aerial view of flood waters surrounding the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant near Brownville, Nebraska June 24, 2011. The Missouri River, swollen by heavy rains and melting snow, has been flooding areas from Montana through Missouri. Reuters

http://sustainabledevint.com/page3.php

Nebraska Cooper Nuclear Power Station

The Cooper Nuclear Power Station was built near Brownville, Nebraska on a 100-year flood plain with additional protective dikes and levees. The plant was first put into operation in July 1974.

In mid-July 1993 upstream dikes and levees collapsed causing rapidly rising flood waters on the Missouri River forced the operator to shutdown the reactor. The flooding closed many emergency escape routes in the region.

“…below grade rooms in the reactor and turbine buildings had extensive leakage with rising water levels.”
“… the floor drain system backed up so that standing water from within areas known to be radiologically contaminated had migrated out into designated clean areas.”
“…water levels rising inside the reactor building impinged on electrical cables and equipment such as the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (RCIC) pump room causing the circuitry to ground out.” [3]

A 1993 flood collapsed dikes and levees on the Missouri River upstream from the Cooper Nuclear Power Station and forced the operator to shutdown the reactor.
Photo: Diane Krogh/Lighthawk
Photo source: http://sustainabledevint.com/attachments/Image/Cooper_Nuclear_Station_Flood.JPG

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Cooper Nuclear Power Station, Brownville, NE, FEMA Flood Maps