Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, Neb., declared a "Notification of Unusual Event" about 4 a.m. Sunday when the Missouri River there reached a height of 42.5 feet.
The declaration, which has been anticipated by the power plant’s operators, was made as part of safety and emergency preparedness plan the station follows when flooding conditions are in effect.
The plan’s procedures dictate when the Missouri River’s water level reaches 42.5 feet, or greater than 899 feet above sea level, a notification of unusual event is declared. If the river’s level increases to 45.5 feet or 902 feet above sea level, plant operators are instructed take the station offline as a safety measure.
The National Weather Service estimated that the river will rise to 42.7 feet by late afternoon Sunday.
Cooper Nuclear Station is located three miles southeast of Brownville and 70 miles south of Omaha. It is owned and operated by the Nebraska Public Power District, with headquarters in Columbus, Neb.
A "Notification of Unusual" event is the lowest and least serious of four emergency classifications established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants. The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant operated by the Omaha Public Power District posted a an unusual event notification due to flood waters on June 6.
The Fort Calhoun nuclear plant, 20 miles north of Omaha, was shut down April 9 for refueling. It has not been restarted because of the imminent flooding.
According to a statement released by NPPD, there is no threat to plant employees or to the public and the plant continues to operate safely. Cooper staff continuously monitors the river’s water levels as part of normal operations.
Personnel have been preparing the station for flood conditions by filling sandbags, constructing barricades, procuring materials and supplies, and reinforcing the access road plant staff use to get to the station. More that 5,000 tons of sand was brought in for constructing barricades, such as Hesco barriers placed around the station’s switchyard of transformers and other electrical equipment.
Should the river’s level increase to 900 feet above sea level, plant personnel will also barricade internal doorways as another layer of protection for facility equipment.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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