Not entirely reassuring report from Forbes regarding status of three nuclear plants on the East Coast:
http://www.forbes.com/...
The NRC also noted that the ‘Alert’ condition that was triggered yesterday at the Oyster Creek plant in New Jersey remains in effect due to high water levels in its water intake structure.
A little more information here:
http://barnegat-manahawkin.patch.com/...
The Department of Environmental Protection and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are monitoring the impacts of Hurricane Sandy on operations at Oyster Creek Generating Station, a news release from the Gov. Chris Christie’s office said.
The nuclear power plant suffered power outages and declared an “alert” on Monday night due to the rising water levels as a result of high tides, wind direction and storm surge. The plant also lost a portion of its warning alarm system.
Oyster Creek currently operating on emergency generators. Like we learned from the KOS emergency generator operation last night, what can go wrong?
The plant experienced a power disruption in the station’s switchyard. The station’s two backup diesel generators activated immediately and continue to provide a stable supply of power to the station’s systems, a news release from Oyster Creek said. There are more than two weeks of diesel fuel on site.
About Oyster Creek:
Oyster Creek is the oldest operating nuclear plant in the country and provides enough around-the-clock electricity for 600,000 New Jersey homes and began commercial operations in 1969.
With Con Edison blowing up, 7 million customers (translating to even more people as an apartment complex can be one customer) out of power, and nuclear plants on alert, the question could be asked:
Is our energy infrastructure too big to not fail?
Another question to be asked:
An inconvenient truth is that significant infrastructure is located too close to and/or below a rising sea level. Should we be rethinking our urban planning for the future?