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Tuesday, 23 August, 2011 9:44 PM
Virginia
Earthquake Triggers 'Unusual Event' at Susquehanna Plant
Photo
credit: ppl.thedigitalcenter.com
PPL
Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power plant
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BERWICK, Pa.
-- A powerful earthquake felt throughout the mid-Atlantic
region this afternoon (8/23) has not affected regular operation
at PPL Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power plant near Berwick.
Unit 1 of the plant continues
to operate normally at full power. Unit 2 had previously shut down
for maintenance and remains in safe, stable condition. PPL is delaying
the return of Unit 2 to full power as a precautionary measure.
Experienced, well-trained
plant employees are checking the plant from top to bottom for potential
damage. No issues have been detected and no employee injuries have
been reported.
"We are taking prudent
steps to check the condition of our plant," PPL spokesman Joe
Scopelliti said. "The safety of our plant neighbors and employees
is our primary concern."
No public action is required
and the situation poses no risk to plant neighbors.
PPL is in contact with
local and regional emergency management agencies.
The seismic activity
detected at the plant is well below levels the plant was designed
to withstand.
PPL has declared an "unusual
event" as a result of the earthquake. An unusual event is the
lowest of four emergency classifications established by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants.
PPL has activated its
Joint Information Center at the East Mountain Business Center just
off Route 115, south of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The phone number is 570-831-6300.
The Susquehanna plant,
located in Luzerne County about seven miles north of Berwick, is
owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative
Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.
PPL Susquehanna is one
of PPL Corporation's generating facilities. Headquartered in Allentown,
Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) owns or controls about 19,000 megawatts
of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key
U.S. markets, and delivers electricity and natural gas to about
10 million customers in the United States and the United Kingdom.
More information is available at www.pplweb.com.
Source: PPL Susquehanna
Entergy
Plants Continue Safe Operations Following Earthquake
NEW ORLEANS --
Entergy Corporation issued the following statement after
an earthquake was felt Tuesday afternoon across much of the northeastern
United States:
"All Entergy nuclear
plants continue to operate as normal following a 5.9 earthquake
originating in Virginia but felt in neighboring states and in Washington
D.C. No damage has been reported at any of our sites."
Entergy Corporation is
an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power
production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and
operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric
generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator
in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million
utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately
15,000 employees.
Entergy's online address
is www.entergy.com
Twitter: @EntergyMedia
Source: Entergy Corporation
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