Nuclear Plant Leak Raises Concerns for Minnesota Residents

A nuclear power plant near Minneapolis is being shut down after discovering water containing a low level of radioactive material was leaking from a pipe for the second time. The issue has raised concerns among nearby residents and questions about aging pipelines. The temporary closure could be out of an abundance of caution, “or it could be a sign they don’t know how bad the problem is, and they need to do a deep dive to find out what’s going on,” said Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally and is a common byproduct of nuclear plant operations.