From the New York Times
Nebraska Nuclear Plant's Vital Equipment Remains Dry, Officials Say
"At Fort Calhoun....There are so many small water pumps running to keep up with the leaks that keeping them supplied with gasoline and diesel requires something akin to a bucket brigade.
....Climbing over the sandbags at the entrances, they carry them in, and workers on their way out pick up a few empties and carry them out for refilling.
....As the river still flows silently past, at perhaps 15 miles an hour instead of the normal 7 or 8
"We've had water at nuclear plants before, but this is the only time we can recall it to this extent or duration," said Jeffrey Clark...."
"The river is not expected to get substantially higher, but it may not get lower anytime soon, either. On Monday morning, Mr. Jaczko met with the Army Corps of Engineers but did not get a great deal of encouragement.
"We don't like to give worst-case scenarios anymore because every time it rains, we get a new worst case," said Col. Robert J. Ruch, commander of the Omaha District."
For those interested, I recommend reading today's New York Times article cited above and another article cited below dated yesterday.
So, it's the little things that matter. Small water pumps and a brigade of workers hand carrying in fuel for the small pumps. This will last for quite a while.
Thank you to all those Ft Calhoun heros that are working tirelessly to keep us safe.
I also highly recommend this news site if frequent updates are important to you:
ENENews
Energy News
The news regarding the Nebraska nuclear plants is updated quickly. You can also find Los Alamos updates. Or not. Your choice.
And from yesterday, this is a great report providing more details for those of us not living in the area where there is more reporting:
Flood test not over for nuke plant
Here are the article highlights provided by angelajean. Thank you aj!
New problems could start in the 1,010- to 1,012-foot range.
At around 1,010 feet, water would overflow an earthen levee protecting the electrical switchyard, based on the levee's current height.
The switchyard is important because it transfers electricity to the plant from the power grid. Even though the reactor is shut down, electricity is crucial for operating pumps and other equipment that circulate water to cool both the fuel in the nuclear reactor and the plant's spent fuel pool.
Bannister, OPPD's chief nuclear officer, said equipment inside the switchyard is further protected by sandbags to a height of about 1,011 feet. The utility is in the process of raising the earthen levee around the switchyard because that type of levee remains strongest if water does not reach the top few feet.
Should enough water get into the switchyard to damage the electrical equipment, the plant could lose power from the grid, and OPPD would again fire up its two primary backup generators. That's what the company did Sunday, when water got into a different area of the plant.
(snip)
Also at 1,014, floodwater would incapacitate OPPD's backup generators if they were still being used. The utility has developed plans for tying directly into the transmission lines above the plant, if necessary, Bannister said. It also could shift to secondary backup generators, which are stationed about 22 feet above the worst-case design standard — at an elevation of 1,036 feet, Bannister said.
Water would have to rise to 1,038.5 feet above sea level to reach the spent fuel pool, a water-filled pool that holds the plant's most recently used uranium fuel.
If floodwater made it to the reactor, Bannister said, it couldn't get inside. That's because the reactor is itself a watertight vessel that holds nuclear fuel in its own deep pool of water.
It is a relief to know that the margin of error is more than a few feet.
Personally, I am feeling more confident about the situation at Ft. Calhoun.
If those living in the area have updated information regarding the Cooper Nuclear Plant, it would be greatly appreciated as well. I'm not finding recent info.
Thanks.
Let's all pray or hope there is little to no more rain in Montana, the Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska, and any areas that feed into the Missouri River north of the two nuclear plants.