– Edited By Chris Reed –
The STP Nuclear Operating Company declared an "Unusual Event" today at 10:38 a.m. when a circuit breaker malfunctioned, which caused Unit 2 to go offline. There were no injuries. The unit is in a stable condition. Unit 1 is unaffected and remains online at 100 percent power. The company exited the Unusual Event at 12:40 p.m. today.
“We have an experienced and well-trained team at our facility, and our focus and priority is always on safety," said Ed Halpin, STP President and Chief Executive Officer. "Unit 2 operated as designed this morning when the incident occurred. We have a root cause team working to determine the cause of the issue, and will work to safely and efficiently correct the condition and return the unit to service."
The “Unusual Event” classification indicated there was a minor problem at the plant that caused the company to enter into the emergency plan. There was no hazard to the public or to the employees at the plant.
Plant employees continue with their normal work activities. The company contacted Matagorda County officials and state authorities to inform them of the incident at 10:48 a.m. The company also contacted federal authorities, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Emergency conditions at nuclear power facilities are classified into one of four classifications. In order of least serious to most serious, these are: Unusual Event, Alert, Site Area Emergency, and General Emergency.