(UPDATED) 2 Nuclear Reactors Shut Down In Virginia Following M5.9 Earthquake

(UPDATE) According to the plant operator Dominion's press release, the external power has been restored. The release doesn't say what time it was restored. One of the diesel generator was taken offline after the generator coolant leaked, but the 5th generator at the plant took its place. There has been no leak of radioactive materials in the environment other than that during the normal operation.



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From NBC Washington (2:35PM EST 8/23/2011):

A nuclear power plant located in Louisa County, the epicenter of the earthquake in Virginia, has shut down.

The North Anna Power Station, operated by Dominion Power, has two reactors. The plant declared an "unusual event" in the wake of the 5.9 magnitude quake, which is the lowest stage on the plant's emergency scale.

As a result, the plant has been shut down.

Check back with NBC Washington for more updates as they become available.

(UPDATE)

The AP reports the plant is being run off of four emergency diesel generators, which are supplying power for critical safety equipment.

(And what does the stock market do on the news? Bots go overdrive of course and ramp up the market. What else do they do? Sell gold and silver! Make sense, doesn't it? Time to buy risky assets (stocks) in times of uncertainty.)

(Oh I see. Maybe when they evacuated the exchanges they instructed the bots to just keep buying stocks no matter what...)