Indian Point's Unit 2 Back in Operation

Indian Point's Unit 2 reactor returned to operation Saturday morning after a shutdown of two water pumps in the facility caused the reactor to shut down Wednesday. The pumps turned off after workers inadvertently opened the two pump valves while testing a third valve. 

Spokesman Jerry Nappi said no radioactivity was released and there was no threat to the public or the workers.

According to Entergy:

Control room operators returned the Indian Point unit 2 nuclear power plant to service early Saturday morning after safely shutting down the plant Wednesday afternoon when two valves inadvertently opened while workers were testing a third valve.

The work had caused a fluctuation in water levels inside the plant’s steam generators, leading to the shutdown.

Unit 2 had been online for 252 continuous days prior to the shutdown.Unit 3 was unaffected by the shutdown and has been operating for 107 continuous days.

Indian Point Energy Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to two operating nuclearpower plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2000 megawatts of electricity for homes, business and public facilities in New York City and Westchester County

The original 40-year operating licenses for Indian Point Units 2 and 3 are due to expire on Sept. 28, 2013 and Dec. 12, 2015.Entergy, the company that operates Indian Point, has submitted an application for a 20-year extension.