Susquehanna to complete additional work on Unit 1

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Jun 08, 2016, 11:18 ET

BERWICK, Pennsylvania, June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania made a non-emergency notification to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Wednesday, June 8, 2016. As was previously reported, Susquehanna Unit 1 was safely shut down on June 6 for planned maintenance to identify and repair a small leak inside the containment structure that completely surrounds the reactor. During the investigation, Susquehanna staff identified and reported additional leakage from an instrumentation connection to the reactor vessel. The leak rate is currently measured at two drops per minute.

Unit 1 remains shut down and the condition is not a safety risk for plant workers or the public. "We have established a dedicated team of nuclear professionals to further evaluate the situation and develop a plan to safely complete repairs, said Robert Franssen, plant general manager. "We will continue to work with the NRC, industry experts and our equipment vendors to understand the issue, evaluate our repair options, complete the necessary work and safely return the unit to service."

Susquehanna Unit 2 continues to operate safely at full rated power.

The Susquehanna plant, located about seven miles north of Berwick, is jointly owned by Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC, and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc., and is operated by Susquehanna Nuclear. For information, visit www.susquehannanuclear.com.

Susquehanna Nuclear LLC is one of Talen Energy's generating affiliates. Talen Energy (NYSE: TLN) is one of the largest competitive energy and power generation companies in the United States. Our diverse generating fleet operates in well-developed, structured wholesale power markets. To learn more about us, visit www.talenenergy.com.