Nuclear Power Plant in Minnesota Reveals It Leaked 400,000 Gallons of Radioactive Water

Anna Lazarus Caplan
·2 min read
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Cooling towers release heat generated by boiling water reactors at Xcel Energy's Nuclear Generating Plant on Oct. 2, 2019, in Monticello, Minn. Minnesota regulators said Thursday, March 16, 2023, that they're monitoring the cleanup of a leak of 400,000 gallons of radioactive water from Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant in late November 2022. The company said there's no danger to the public.

Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP

Regulators are monitoring the cleanup at a Minnesota nuclear power plant after it leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water in November.

The incident at Xcel Energy's plant in Monticello, just northwest of Minneapolis, came to light on Thursday, after state officials said they wanted to gather more information before going public, according to the Associated Press.

Officials said the water contains tritium, which occurs naturally in the environment, but is of no risk to the greater public.

"We knew there was a presence of tritium in one monitoring well, however Xcel had not yet identified the source of the leak and its location," Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Michael Rafferty said, per the AP.

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He added, "Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information."

The Minneapolis-based utility company also released a statement regarding the spill on Thursday, per the AP, noting that it "took swift action to contain the leak."

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Power plant officials believe the leak occurred in a pipe between two buildings at the facility, which has been storing and processing the contaminated water since then.

"Ongoing monitoring from over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water is fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water," Xcel said in its statement. "We understand the importance of quickly informing the communities we serve if a situation poses an immediate threat to health and safety. In this case, there was no such threat."

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About 25% of the spill has been contained so far, according to ABC 5 in Minneapolis, and recovery efforts are ongoing as the company moves toward a "permanent solution" in the coming months.