Hey! Did you hear about that near meltdown at a nuclear plant in Nebraska?

Have you heard about the near-meltdown at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in Nebraska? Chances are you haven’t since the incident at Fort Calhoun really hasn’t been a big story in the mainstream media, but it’s a story worth mentioning.

According to a report based on information provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant suffered a “catastrophic loss of cooling” to one of its idle spent fuel rod pools on June 7, 2011 after the plant, which is located about 20 minutes from Omaha, was inundated with water caused by the historic flooding of the Missouri River. The flooding resulted in a fire causing the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) to issue a “no-fly ban” over the area, and according to the report the Obama administration has ordered a news blackout relating to any information regarding the near catastrophic meltdown of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant.

UPDATE: It’s been pointed out by commenters (see below) that this story is a hoax. My apologies!

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5 thoughts on “Hey! Did you hear about that near meltdown at a nuclear plant in Nebraska?

  1. This was addressed, without reference to news blackout or to an “almost meltdown” on NPR twice in the last five days. I suppose that makes the “news blackout” thingie kind of moot, eh?

    Here’s how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reacting to the “news blackout,” by spending way too much time and valuable dollars quashing rumors like this that evidently have been fanned by Russian news sources: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2011/06/17/rumors-and-the-rising-river/

    I love the title, because that’s just what this story is, a complete rumor built on a minor accident in early June and flooding that is NOT out of control.

    1. I should also mention that there is indeed a Temporary Flight Restriction in place for a 2 mile radius around the plant. TFRs are commonly used to secure airspace for a variety of incidents. These include aircraft accidents, wildfires, and other disaster areas. The purpose is to keep non-mission essential aircraft clear so that relief aircraft can perform their jobs in clear airspace. If you look at Arizona, there is a giant TFR in place to support wildfire efforts. Also, the TFR in Nebraska has a ceiling of just 3500 ft Above Ground Level, meaning that I can still fly my airplane 3600 feet above the plant and not violate Federal Aviation Regulations.

  2. There was also a NO fly Zone around the oil spill when they got sick of people filming the oil spill. I have stayed away from this story because I think its a very important and scary one and one of those things I just dont want to know!

    Although it scared me when the tea partiers( all 34 of them) keep yelling and screaming for more nuclear power!

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