Ameren Missouri officials declared an “Alert” at the Callaway Nuclear Plant near Fulton, Mo, at 10:56 a.m. today and exited the Alert at 5:37 p.m. An Alert means events have occurred, or may occur, which could significantly reduce the overall level of safety at the plant. The Alert did not impact plant personnel safety or pose a hazard to the public.
Today’s Alert at the Callaway Plant was due to a potentially hazardous atmosphere from a refrigerant leak in one of two rooms containing redundant air conditioning equipment that cools the control room. The other air conditioner remained in service throughout the event. Repair plans are underway for the affected equipment. There are no threats to plant personnel or the public. The plant remains on-line operating safely.
Company officials say there was no release of radioactivity to the environment above normal operating limits. They add that all appropriate federal, state and local agencies have been notified.
An Alert is the second least serious of four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for nuclear power plants. It is more significant than an “Unusual Event,” but less serious than a “Site Area Emergency” or “General Emergency.”
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than a century, and our electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. We serve 1.2 million electric and 126,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. Our mission is to meet their energy needs in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. Our service area covers 63 counties and more than 500 towns, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit AmerenMissouri.com.
# # #
Contacts: Ameren Missouri Media Hotline, 314.554.2182