Errant Bird Dropping Causes Nuclear Power Plant Shutdown in Upstate New York

An errant bird dropping appears to have caused the temporary shutdown of part of the Indian Point nuclear plant in upstate New York.

A report by Entergy, the site operator, pointed the finger at a bird “streamer” — colorfully explained in the document as “long streams of excrement from large birds that are often expelled as a bird takes off from a perch” — as the cause of the shutdown, which tripped a safety breaker and took a reactor at the site out of commission for three days in December.

There was no leak of radiation as a result of the accident, and at no time was public health and safety in jeopardy, the report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission noted.

While, more commonly, the buildup of guano on the lines hampers operating efficiency, in this case the report said that it had caused an electrical arc between wires at a transmission tower.


http://ktla.com/2016/03/04/errant-bird-dropping-causes-nuclear-power-plant-shutdown-in-upstate-new-york/



A boat moves along the Hudson River in front of the Indian Point nuclear power plant March 18, 2011 in Buchanan, New York. (Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)