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March 27, 2019Nebraska |  By: Lily Lopez

Cooper Nuclear Station is no longer classified as an emergency

The situation at the Cooper Nuclear power plant is no longer classified an emergency following recent flooding in the area. The Nebraska Public Power District and Cooper Nuclear Station management have announced the Cooper Nuclear plant has exited the emergency classification of a Notice of Unusual Event issued on March 15. Nebraska Public Power District spokesman, Mark Becker says the plant was at risk of flooding.

"The water levels on the Missouri River rose to 899 feet.  At that point, we declared what was called a Notification of Unusual Event.  That was followed up and actually proceeded by efforts to do emergency preparedness to make sure the station itself was not flooded."

Becker adds the plant remained in operation during the Notice of Unusual Event.

"The public was at no risk, neither were employees.  As a matter of fact, we did operate at 100% capacity with the reactor and generating electricity throughout the entire nine days we were under the Notification of Unusual Event."

Becker says utility officials made the decision to lift the emergency classification after several days of river elevations consistently dropping below the 899-feet sea level mark and discussing the decision with county and state agencies. The staff at the plant also conducted thorough assessments of the site's emergency preparedness before deciding to exit the Notification of Unusual Event. An N-O-U-E is the lowest level of the four emergency classifications established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants.