Duke Energy’s Brunswick nuclear plant, about 30 miles south of Wilmington, has declared a state of emergency as the 1,200-acre complex remains cut off by flood waters and and is inaccessible to outside personnel.
Just as we warned a week ago, The News & Observer reports, at this time, no one can come in and relieve the Duke Energy workers and NRC “storm riders” who have been on site for days, NRC spokesman Joey Ledford said. And it would not be possible to evacuate the 10-mile emergency evacuation zone around the site if a higher level of emergency were declared.
“None of the roads are passable,” Ledford said.
“The plant is safe. The reactors are in hot stand-by mode 3 shutdown.”
But as Intellihub reports, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is being tight-lipped about an “unusual event” which occurred at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant last Saturday which forced a “hot shutdown” of both the plant’s Generation IV-type reactors 1 and 2.
The NRC classified the emergency as an “unusual event” but provided little to no details on the situation.
Additionally, the NRC reports that weather conditions from Tropical Storm Florence are currently preventing workers from accessing the plant.
“A hazardous event has resulted in on site conditions sufficient to prohibit the plant staff from accessing the site via personal vehicles due to flooding of local roads by Tropical Storm Florence.”
From the NRC regarding Event 53609:
h/t @tronictime
The current rector mode is showing as “hot shutdown” and more rain is on the way.
River waters in the area are expected to rise as much as 20 feet in the coming days. Not to mention, local dams in the area may be to capacity.
Brunswick is equipped with emergency backup diesel generators to operate essential equipment if the facility lost off-site power from the grid. Ledford said that the reactors never lost power and the generators never had to be activated.
The latest info on the New Mexico SSO from Space.com
New Mexico Solar Observatory Re-Opening Monday After Criminal Investigation
It wasn’t aliens, or a doomsday solar flare.
No, the Sunspot Solar Observatory — a National Solar Observatory facility high up on New Mexico’s Sacramento Peak — has been closed for the past 10 days because of a criminal investigation.
“AURA has been cooperating with an ongoing law enforcement investigation of criminal activity that occurred at Sacramento Peak,” AURA representatives wrote in a statement Sunday (Sept. 16). “During this time, we became concerned that a suspect in the investigation potentially posed a threat to the safety of local staff and residents. For this reason, AURA temporarily vacated the facility and ceased science activities at this location.”
https://www.space.com/41852-sunspot-solar-observatory-opening-after-criminal-investigation.html?utm_source=notification
As often happens, rumors rushed in to fill the information-free void. Speculation ranged from the ridiculous (that the government wanted to squash news of an alien-life detection or civilization-destroying solar flare) to the plausible (that some bad actor had planted spy gear on the Sunspot grounds, which provide a good view of the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base).
Is this how Fukushima started out? With lots of reassurance the problem was contained?
No, it started out with a 9.2 earthquake that caused a massive tidal wave that hit the plant, the generators, etc. when it was operating in normal mode (with no opportunities to secure the core at all). Then the lies, reassurances, etc. began in earnest.
Ah, I remember now. That is when I stocked up on North Atlantic Sea Salt.
I live 15 minutes from BNP. I’m hoping the flooding subsides enough by Friday so I can go home and board up my window that blew out and assess the damage to the house.
Sounds like the poor shlubs who got stranded at the plant have no reliefs. Considering that most of them are likely ex-navy nukes this is something they should be used to.
Hot standby mode is how most reactors are on ships or boats most of the time when they are docked. <100 degrees below normal operating temps. This makes it relatively quick and easy to startup and go. If they were in cold/wet layup it takes much much longer to startup and takes more people.
The real casualty is that they're probably about out of coffee and that is dangerous.
Inaccessible?!These folks ever hear of a useful item called a boat?
I know. You would think it was surrounded by lava.
Hope they got a decent selection in the vending machines.
A little nukkie never hurt anyone.
I do contracxt work for a large property mgt company w/ properties in NC/SC/GA/FL. At 30+ of their complexes in NC & SC they have no idea if they’re flooded or not due to evacuation. Why?
They still can’t drive to them, and one is a minute drive from Lumberton (NC) HS. And most of Eastern NC is one big hog sh*t pond right now.