A leak in the cooling system of the Indian Point 2 nuclear reactor in northern Westchester resulted in a brief release of radioactive steam outside the plant last night, Con Edison officials said.
But the utility said it was below dangerous levels — and no evacuations were ordered.
Con Ed spokesman Michael Spall said there had been “a momentary release of radioactive material to the environment, below any level that poses a threat to the safety of plant personnel or the public.”
Asked what he meant by “momentary,” he said, “a few seconds.”
Spall said radiation detectors could not measure any extra radiation in the air outside the plant.
The accident forced Con Edison to declare an alert and shut down the reactor.
Spall described the plant as stable, but said the alert would last several hours overnight as the reactor is cooled.
The company said none of its workers was exposed.
Although local officials activated the emergency operations center at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, they were “confident the situation is under control,” county spokeswoman Adele Dowling said.
The accident at the plant on the Hudson River in Buchanan — 25 miles north of New York City — took place at 7:29 p.m.
Dennis Michalski of the State Emergency Management Office said, “There’s no threat to public health or safety.
“This is a rare occurrence. This is not common. There was a leak in the coolant system and … they have it under control.”
Spall said it was the first alert ever declared at the 16-year-old plant. Officials of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were at the site.
The leak occurred in a pipe used to carry hot, radioactive, high-pressure water.
Momentarily, radioactive water, in the form of steam, leaked out of the building, officials said.
But Spall said that within seconds, workers in the control room detected the leak, and diverted the leaking water back into a cool-water pool inside the plant’s containment area.
Initially, the radioactive water poured from the pipes at a rate of 75 gallons per minute, Con Ed said.
But early this morning, the water was leaking more slowly.
There are four stages of emergencies at a nuclear plant — and an alert is the second lowest.
State officials said the other nuclear plant on the site, Indian Point 3, which is run by the State Power Authority, was not forced to shut down.