Unit 1 Southern Co.'s Farley nuclear plant in Alabama issued an alert for several hours Saturday when a fire suppression system malfunctioned.
According to Southern, the system released carbon dioxide inadvertently during maintenance. At 5:20 a.m., operators declared an alert, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's second-lowest emergency declaration, which ended at 11:10 a.m. Both reactors at the plant continued to operate at full power. Safety rules can require an emergency declaration when a gas release inhibits access to certain parts of the facility. Southern reported that the event had no effect on plant equipment.
The utility operates two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors at the plant near Dothan, Ala. Unit 1 was first licensed in 1977.