Over 20 Agencies Particpate In Emergency Drills At Minnesota Nuclear Plant

Did you know that Minnesota has nuclear power plants? The biggest of the two in the state is practicing emergency drills today to test the response to a potential disaster.

Authorities notified the public, saying that there would be an increase in emergency vehicles and operations around the area of the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday, June 2.

Increased Emergency Response Activity June 2

Over 20 agencies are participating in the exercise. It brings together a coalition of emergency management, public safety, health, transportation, and environmental agencies from both Minnesota and Wisconsin. The drill is to test how agencies would respond in the unlikely event of a disaster or incident at the facility.

Read More: FEMA Reveals Possible Nuclear Targest In Minnesota

Praire Island Nuclear Power Plant

The plant is located about 40 miles southeast of Minneapolis. It was built in the early 1970s, and it can power 1 million homes in the Upper Midwest. The plant uses the water from the Mississippi River to cool its reactor.

Past Emergency Shutdowns Of Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant

There have been several emergency shutdowns in the not-so-distant past at the nuclear facility.

In February of 2015, the plant's Unit 1 was shut down after a cloud of steam built up in the cooling system after maintenance of the reactor cooling pumps. Unit 2 was shut down due to a "notification of an unusual event" in March of 2015 and March of 2017.

Another "unusual event" at Prairie Island happened on May 27, 2023, which caused an automatic shutdown. It was inspected by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and deemed safe.