Millstone reduces power, installs flood barriers

Waterford – Unit 3 at the Millstone Power Station has reduced its power to 75 percent today and has installed flood barriers around the plant.

Ken Holt, spokesman for Millstone owner Dominion, said Unit 3 will be better able to handle any storm surges that could affect its intake water system at a lower power output. The lower output will also ensure that the plant would not destabilize the regional power grid if the plant has to shut down due to Hurricane Sandy, he said.

Unit 2 is already shut down due for routine refueling, and Unit 1 has been decommissioned.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors are at Unit 3 today monitoring storm preparations and making sure safe operations are maintained through the storm. In addition to the two resident NRC inspectors already assigned to the site, the NRC sent additional inspectors to nine nuclear power plants in the Northeast including Millstone for the duration of the storm, the NRC said today.

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said plants would be ordered to shut down if wind speeds exceed 90 miles per hour, higher than is expected for Hurricane Sandy.