'Unusual event' declared at nuclear plant

AUBURN, Neb. – Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is responding to an unusual event at its Cooper Nuclear Station due to a hydrogen leak into a main plant area.

The utility declared a “Notification of Unusual Event” (NOUE) today at 11:18 a.m. due to a hydrogen leak into a main plant area. The leak was discovered by a maintenance crew working on the non-nuclear system, and repairs to fix the leak are in progress.

The plant is stable and continues to operate at this time. There is no threat to the public. NPPD has notified the appropriate local, county, state, and federal agencies.

A NOUE is defined as unusual events, minor in nature, which have occurred or are in progress which indicate a potential degradation in the level of safety at the station. If placed on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the least serious level of an emergency and 4 being the most serious level of an emergency, a NOUE would equal a 1.

Cooper Nuclear Station is located three miles southeast of Brownville near the Missouri River. It is owned and operated by the Nebraska Public Power District, with headquarters in Columbus. More information will be provided as it becomes available.