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Chernobyl revisited? |
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September 11, 2000
YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) - A nuclear power plant in Siberia was shut down after an unexplained power surge, officials said Sunday. No radiation leaks were reported. The sole working reactor at the Beloyarskaya plant, in the Sverdlovsk region, automatically went off-line Saturday because of the surge, said Oleg Sarayev, director of the plant. "It is the first time in 35 years we've experienced this type of situation," Sarayev said. He said the surge came from the regional power grid, but its cause was not clear. The shutdown at reactor No. 3 did not present any danger and no leaks or other damage were registered, Sarayev said. He said the plant would be switched back on by Monday. Reactor No. 3 has been operating since 1980, according to the Russian government. The plant's other two reactors were decommissioned in 1981 and 1989. Like Russia's other nuclear power stations, the Beloyarskaya plant has seen several breakdowns and accidents in recent years, including fires and a leak of radioactive water. In 1978, eight workers at the plant suffered radiation exposure after a fire, according to environmental watchdog Greenpeace. |