When asked why Xcel Energy didn’t notify the public earlier, the company said: “We understand the importance of quickly informing the communities we serve if a situation poses an immediate threat to health and safety. “Ongoing monitoring from over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water is fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water,” the Xcel Energy statement said. Since then, it has been pumping groundwater, storing and processing the contaminated water, which contains tritium levels below federal thresholds. When I look beyond 2030, that last 20 will take different technology and it could be the. 22, the day after it confirmed the leak, which came from a pipe between two buildings. Xcel aims for 100 carbon-free power by 2050 and an 80 carbon-emission cut by 2030 from 2005 levels. The company said it notified the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state on Nov. March 28, 2023: Xcel Energy says leak fixed, plant to open soonĪn Xcel Energy spokesperson reportedly said the leak has been repaired and the plant will return to service soon.“Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information,” he said, adding the water remains contained on Xcel’s property and poses no immediate public health risk. The MPCA says the fish were not killed by tritium.Īlso on this date: another open house was held at the Monticello Community Center. The fish kill is unfortunate but not unexpected given the significant temperature change that can occur when warm water from the plant stops flowing to the river during a shut down in operations," the MPCA said. "As part of its normal operations, warm water from the Monticello plant enters the river, which the fish get used to. Xcel Energy in late November told Minnesota and federal officials about a leak of 400,000 gallons of water contaminated with radioactive tritium at its Monticello nuclear power plant, but it wasnt until Thursday that the incident and ongoing cleanup effort were made public. State officials say the temperature change killed about 230 fish, including bass, channel catfish, carp and sucker fish. RELATED: Temporary shutdown of Monticello nuclear power plant causes fish kill When the utility company started powering it down, it cooled the surrounding water. The Xcel Energy Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant sits close to the river. On this date, the MPCA announced that the temporary shutdown of the facility led to a fish kill on the Mississippi River. March 27, 2023: Shutdown causes fish kill
on this date, allowing crews to repair the leak. Xcel Energy says the plant was fully powered down around 7 a.m.
Xcel again said there is no threat to drinking water or the environment. Xcel says powering down the plant will make it easier for crews to "permanently resolve" the leak. They said the second leak was smaller, but forced the company to take new measures. Xcel Energy began powering down the nuclear plant after finding a new radioactive leak, coming from the temporary repair to the original leak. The average person will get 300 milligram in a year just from the sun, the ground, everything," Myers said. "If we look at the dose impact of something like this, it would be a fraction of a milligram. Myers says there's three times as much tritium in a hallway exit sign than in the water under the plant. That is why I want to make extra clear the fact that the public in Minnesota, the people, the community near the plant, was not and is not in danger." "The concern is very, very understandable. "This is something that we struggle with because there is such concern with anything that is nuclear," said Victoria Mitlyng, a spokesperson with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The delay in notifying the public about the November leak raised questions about public safety and transparency, but industry experts said there was never a public health threat. March 17, 2023: Regulators defend delay in notifying public
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Xcel said the facility contained the leak by diverting the water to an in-plant water treatment system, but will install a permanent solution this spring. The MPCA said the leak had been stopped, and that there's no evidence to indicate a risk to nearby drinking water wells. "To date, Xcel Energy has recovered about 25% of the tritium released and will continue recovery over the course of the next year," Xcel Energy said in the release. MORE: Xcel Energy cleaning up radioactive leak at Monticello nuclear generating plant The company said the leak poses no threat to health and safety of the community or environment. Xcel Energy officials say the leak was "fully contained on-site" and that the company has been coordinating with federal, state and local officials to clean up the leak.
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