Most likely shutdown on loss of offsite power than due to damage from the earthquake. Most plants will have to declare a Notification of Unusual Event (NUE) for just having felt the earthquake - gets the reviews and evaluations going. At some level, plants will shutdown automatically for a seismic even - levels depend on what the plant is designed for.
An Alert at North Anna Power Station; Reactors Shut Down Safely, No Damage Reported
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Virginia Power declared an Alert at the North Anna Power Station in Mineral, Va., following an earthquake in Central Virginia. The reactors have been shut down safely and no major damage has been reported.
The station declared an Alert, the next to the lowest of the four emergency classifications of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Both reactors have been shut down. The emergency diesel generators started as off-site power from the electric grid was lost. No release of radioactive material has occurred beyond those minor releases associated with normal station operations.
The earthquake was felt at the company's other Virginia nuclear power station, Surry Power Station in southeast Virginia, but not as strongly. Both units at Surry continue to operate safely.
The earthquake also caused the company's newest power station, Bear Garden in Buckingham County, to shut down automatically.
U.S. nuclear power stations, including Dominion's four stations, were built to seismic standards for their regions.
Dominion (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va., is one of the nation's largest producers of energy. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.
SOURCE Dominion