Radioactive leak found in reactor at S. Carolina nuclear plant, one of largest in US

A reactor at one of the nation’s largest nuclear power plants has been taken offline due to a radioactive leak within a containment building.

"Out of an abundance of caution,” service was temporarily removed from Unit 1 at the Oconee Nuclear Station in western South Carolina early Monday, according to ONS spokeswoman B.J. Gatten.

A robot was used to confirm the leak over the weekend after it was first suspected Friday night inside Unit 1’s containment facility, Gatten said.

Less than one tenth of a gallon of radioactive material is leaking per minute, though it is not yet known how long the leak has existed, she said, according to WYFF.

The leak remains solely inside the containment building, a steel-lined, airtight area with concrete walls several feet thick. No one works inside the containment building, Gatten said.

The leak is subject to ongoing repairs and analysis, though there is no estimate for when it will go back online.

Gatten claims the leak will not put any employees or the public in danger, nor will it affect service.

The leak has been reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, she said. A Commission report said Unit 1 was running at full power Friday.

Unit 2 at ONS was offline already for routine refueling, leaving one reactor - Unit 3 - online Monday.

ONS is run by Duke Energy, and began operation in 1973 with an initial expiration date in 2013, per 40-year regulatory standards. However, its license was extended for an additional 20 years - only the second reactor to earn such a renewal - and is now scheduled to expire in 2033.

The power plant is located on Lake Keowee near Seneca, South Carolina. Its energy output is over 2,500 megawatts - enough electricity to power 1.9 million homes, according to Duke Energy.