Posted on 03/01/2006 8:44:05 PM PST by Palladin
An emergency alert has been raised at the Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant in Salem Township in Luzerne County, but officials said the public is not in danger. According to PPL officials at the plant, there was a release of halon in one of the non-nuclear structures at the plant. Halon is a fire suppressant. Officials at the plant said no flames were present, but there was a burnt smell detected.
The Luzerne County Emergency Agency also responded to the incident, and local E.M.A officials are on alert. Officials said there have been no evacuations. For any questions, residents of Luzerne County can call the rumor hotline at 1-800-821-3716. In Columbia County, residents can call the rumor hotline at 570-389-5738.
C'mon kid! Tell me your name so I can tell your mother.
Everything looks OK in those photos. Are they from today?
Of course, you can't see radiation.
There's hardly any wind here tonight.
I've seen your posts about the ports deal and your back door criticism of the US military branch of the Coast Guard is obvious.
"Back door criticism of the US military branch of the Coast Guard?" Never in a jillion years. The military is the only thing holding this country together, and whom has the highest respect of the american people. I AM guilty of criticizing Chertoff on his and others contention that the coast guard is going to adequate protect our ports from every container coming in. They can't do it, they are not able to do it, and typically they become first responders after something has occured, to know fault of their own due mainly to mission. You misread my intent and if it doesn't clarify it, well I tried.
Halon is a fire suppressant gas used for electrical and electronic equipment in enclosed spaces. An automatic actuation of a fire protection system in a space which has Safety Related Equipment(needed to safely shutdown a nuclear power plant) requires notification to the NRC usually at the lowest level of emergency action levels. The halon is used in place of water or CO2 which tends to damage or destroy the equipment.
The emergency action levels are:
Unusual Event - Minor screwup
Alert - You guys are starting to really mess up
Site Area Emergency - NRC is really going to be pissed.
General Emergency - Major malfunction with potential release of radioactive material to the environment.
"fatima, they are really playing it down on the news. They say it's a "low-level" incident; that whatever it is, it's contained within the plant; and as of right now, there's no danger to the public."
Yawn. It's in the non-nuclear part of the plant. This is only news if someone thinks release of a gas no more dangerous than air is of importance.
We had to evacuate our workplace one day because of a 'burnt smell' and fire detectors going off ... someone left their popcorn in the microwave oven too long.
But then again, mountain lions sleeping behind someones house gets national CNN and fox news attention, they are flogging still the aruba murder case like its national news ... so maybe a non-event at a power plant is 'news'.
Modern day Abbot and Costello
ABBOT: Computer Support Group. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up a home office in the den, and I'm
thinking of buying a computer.
ABBOT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name is Lou.
ABBOT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name is Lou.
ABBOT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Does it get stuffy?
ABBOT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What do I see when I look out the windows?
ABBOT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOT: Software that runs on Windows?
COSTELLO: No, on the computer! I need something I can use to write
proposals, track expenses. You know, run a business. What have you got?
ABBOT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOT: Recommended something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOT: Yes.
COSTELLO: Okay, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office.
ABBOT: Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office and it already has windows! Let's say
I'm sitting at my computer, and I want to type a proposal. What do I
need?
ABBOT: Word.
COSTELLO: If I'm writing a proposal, I'm going to need lots of words.
But what program do I load?
ABBOT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOT: The Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in "office for windows?"
ABBOT: The Word you get when you click the blue W.
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your big W if you don't give me a straight
answer. Let's forget about words for a minute. What do I need if I
Want to watch a movie over the Internet?
ABBOT: Real One.
COSTELLO: Maybe a real movie, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of
your business. But what do I need to watch it?
ABBOT: Real One.
COSTELLO: If it's a long movie I'll also want to watch reels two,three
and four. Can I watch reel four?
ABBOT: Of course.
COSTELLO: Great! With what?
ABBOT: Real One.
COSTELLO: Okay, so I'm sitting at my computer and I want to watch a
movie. What do I do?
ABBOT: You click the blue 1.
COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?
ABBOT: The blue 1.
COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue W?
ABBOT: Of course it is. The blue 1 is Real One. The blue W is Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there's three words in "office for windows!"
ABBOT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.
COSTELLO: It is?
ABBOT: Yes, although to be fair there aren't many other Words left. It
pretty much wiped out all the other Words.
COSTELLO: And that word is the real one?
ABBOT: No. RealOne has nothing to do with Word. RealOne isn't even
Part of Office.
COSTELLO: Never mind; I don't want to get started with that again. But I
also need something for bank accounts, loans, and so on. What do you
have to help me track my money?
ABBOT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?
ABBOT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOT: No, not really. It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What comes bundled with my computer?
ABBOT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes bundled with my computer?
ABBOT: Exactly. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer at no extra
charge? How much money do I get?
ABBOT: Just one copy.
COSTELLO: I get a copy of money. Isn't that illegal?
ABBOT: No. We have a license from Microsoft to make copies of Money.
COSTELLO: Microsoft can license you to make money?
ABBOT: Why not? They own it.
COSTELLO: Well, it's great that I'm going to get free money, but I'll
still need to track it. Do you have anything for managing your money?
ABBOT: Managing Your Money? That program disappeared years ago.
COSTELLO: Well, what do you sell in its place?
ABBOT: Money.
COSTELLO: You sell money?
ABBOT: Of course. But if you buy a computer from us, you get it for
free.
COSTELLO: That's all very wonderful, but I'll be running a business. Do
you have any software for, you know, accounting?
ABBOT: Simply Accounting.
COSTELLO: Probably, but it might get a little complicated.
ABBOT: If you don't want Simply Accounting, you might try M.Y.O.B.
COSTELLO: M.Y.O.B.? What does that stand for?
ABBOT: Mind Your Own Business.
COSTELLO: I beg your pardon?
ABBOT: No, that would be I.B.Y.P. I said M.Y.O.B.
COSTELLO: Look, I just need to do some accounting for my home
business. You know -- accounting? You do it with money.
ABBOT: Of course you can do accounting with Money. But you may need
more.
COSTELLO: More money?
ABBOT: More than Money. Money can't do everything.
COSTELLO: I don't need a sermon! Okay, let's forget about money for
The moment. I'm worried that my computer might...what's the word? Crash.
And if my computer crashes, what can I use to restore my data?
ABBOT: Go Back.
COSTELLO: Okay. I'm worried about my computer smashing and I need
something to restore my data. What do you recommend?
ABBOT: Go Back.
COSTELLO: How many times do I have to repeat myself?
ABBOT: I've never asked you to repeat yourself. All I said was Go Back.
COSTELLO: How can I go back if I haven't even been anywhere?
Okay, I'll go back. What do I need to write a proposal?
ABBOT: Word.
COSTELLO: But I'll need lots of words to write a proposal.
ABBOT: No, you only need one Word-the Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there's three words in...Oh, never mind.
ABBOT: Hello? Hello? Customers! Why do they always hang up on me?Oh,
well. Hello, Computer Support Group. Can I help you?
here is a map of the counties in PA
"BUSH'S FAULT!"
Oh, come on!
Why is it Bush's fault?
The article doesn't even mention Bush.
Umm....D'ya want to go back to my place?
Timing seems a little too coincidental to me...
President Bush is in India discussing nuclear power with their leaders right now.
He has also promoted building more nuke plants in the USA to relieve our dependence on foreign oil and voila...an Emergency Alert is issued at one of our plants.
I thought "Slowly I turn ... step by step" was triggered by the mere mention of "Cincinnati" - was it "Susquehanna"?
I remember it from "Make Room for Daddy" - but it was in vaudeville before that, wasn't it? And maybe Abbott and Costello? (Funny that they should come up on this thread, too.)
Susquehanna was the Stooges.
slowly I turn...step by step....
That's an interesting observation, but I believe it's just a coincidence.
There are minor incidents at our plants quite often. They never make the headlines.
Thanks for the explanation. The EMA guy interviewed said that this incident is second from the lowest of the 4 categories. At least, that was the initial assessment.
But then...the levies in NO were NOT failing the day Katrina hit. Everyone went to bed thinking NO had dodged the bullet.
We never seem to get the whole truth right away.
I lived within 20 miles of a nuke plant for years and never remember hearing about any problems. It is the timing thing that has me going hmmmmmm ..... I'll take the tin foil off my head. That may help. ;*)
Of course, the "enormity" was overblown, and the "mass panic" was unnecessary.
On a related note, deaths caused by Chernobyl are actually magnitudes less than what was predicted.
More people die riding ferry boats than in nuclear power plant incidents -- and nuclear power benefits many more people than ferry boats. But somehow many people think ferry boats are a necessary risk, and Nuclear Power should be banned.
"Slowly I turned...Step by step, inch by inch..."
LOL...I haven't heard that in years.
Maybe it is the copper wire thief.........
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.