(KNSI) – Don’t be alarmed. It’s only a drill.
Residents near the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant will notice a lot of commotion on Tuesday as crews practice what they’d do in an emergency. The event brings together 19 local, county, state and federal agencies along with volunteers to test their ability to handle a crisis.
Various field activities will occur near the nuclear plant in Sherburne and Wright counties.
In March, residents learned that a ruptured pipe had leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water. (An Olympic size swimming pool holds 660,000 gallons.)
The leak was detected in November, but officials didn’t say anything to the public for four months, leading to distrust between the community and the power plant owners, Xcel Energy. The leak led to the company powering down the plant for repairs. According to officials, the radioactive water didn’t seep into the drinking water.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear power industry define emergencies according to four levels of increasing significance: Unusual Event, Alert, Site Area Emergency, and General Emergency.
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