Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant declares `unusual event' after transformer catches fire

Friday, June 18th 2004, 10:18 am

By: News On 6

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) _ The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant was shut down Friday after a transformer caught fire in the non-nuclear part of the facility, officials said. The fire was put out, and no radiation was released, they said.

The operators declared an ``unusual event,'' the lowest of four emergency classifications set by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The fire was detected just before 7 a.m. and the nuclear reactor was automatically shut down, said plant spokesman Rob Williams.

The unusual event status was still in effect after the fire was put out. Williams said the fire cause had not yet been determined. No release of radiation occurred, and no one was injured, he said.

``Since the fire lasted longer than several minutes, by procedure we declared an unusual event,'' Williams said.

The transformer is used to step up the voltage of the electricity generated at the plant so it can be transmitted efficiently.

It was unknown how badly the transformer was damaged, and Williams said he could not estimate when the plant might be back on line again.

As part of the plant's emergency procedure, officials in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have been notified, Williams said. The plant is in Vernon, at Vermont's southeast tip near the other two states.

Vermont's lone nuclear plant, which began operations in 1972, is seeking permission from regulators to boost its power output.

In April, about 20 cracks were discovered in the plant's steam dryer, a component that has been prone to cracking at other plants that have increased their power output.

Also that month, two fuel rod segments were discovered missing from the plant's spent fuel storage pool. Officials believe it was most likely shipped to a disposal facility.