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Nuclear Plant Leaks 2,000 Gallons of Oil into Lake Michigan

Nuclear Plant Leaks 2,000 Gallons of Oil into Lake Michigan

Officials at an nuclear power plant in southwest Michigan say they’re investigating nuclear plant leaks that allowed oil to spill into Lake Michigan for at least two months.

Authorities at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant near Bridgman reported the leak to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state and local authorities on December 20, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Investigators at the nuclear facility confirmed that the leak – which likely started in late October - was triggered by a problem with an oil cooling system on the turbine at the plant. The oil apparently leaked into a tube or tubes that became mixed with the cooling water.

The newspaper reported that plant officials believe that at least 2,000 gallons of oil had leaked into the lake.

“One of the first things we did when we looked at the potential for a leak is examine the lake,” said Bill Schalk, communications manager at the plant. “Oil floats on top of the water and you see a sheen, but we could find no evidence of oil in our reservoirs, in the lake or on the beach. It has been dispersed,” he added.

The exact location of the leak has not yet been determined, but workers isolated the cooling system tank in which the leak is occurring, according to Schalk. “We won’t return that tank to service until we are certain we have found the leak, and there is no more potential for leaking,” Schalk said.

Michael Keegan, director of the nonprofit Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, said the full extent of the leak situation is not yet known. “What’s concerning is they don’t really know the extent of the leak. Nearly two months later is the first determination they make that they have an oil leak? It speaks to the quality assurance of all of their other systems,” Keegan said.

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