[70times7]

This may have been addressed elsewhere, but I'll post it anyway. There is a big difference between the reactor being down and the facility being down, as in not supplying power to the grid. I'm no expert, but I can't imagine those facilities would be built without a way to dissipate the heat without running the turbines.

[TheFrog]

Re: "I can't imagine those facilities would be built without a way to dissipate the heat without running the turbines." <-- They do!

[snopercod]

I can't imagine those facilities would be built without a way to dissipate the heat without running the turbines.

They dump the steam (which normally goes to the turbines) to the atmosphere through a number (16?) of very large valves (8" IIRC). The steam blows hundreds of feet into the air, and is very loud.

During the startup of Diablo Canyon out in California, the first time they tested that, the noise blew sheet-metal panels off the side of the turbine building.