RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dominion's Surry Power Station Unit 2 automatically shut down safely Saturday. An Alert was declared at 6:01 p.m. because two reserve electrical transformers de-energized. The transformers, located on the non-nuclear side of the station, are part of a safety system designed to provide backup power to the station if needed.
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An Alert is the next to least serious of four emergency categories in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's rating system. There is no danger to station employees or the public. Federal, state and local officials have been notified.
Diesel generators designed to provide power to the station if off-site power is lost started automatically and are providing electricity to station safety systems. The company is investigating the cause of the Unit 2 shutdown.
No one was injured. Unit 2 is shut down and in stable condition.
No release of radioactive material has occurred beyond those minor releases associated with normal plant operations. These minor releases pose no danger to the public or station workers. The minor releases are below federally approved operating limits, below natural background levels and can not be detected at the site boundary.
Dominion , headquartered in Richmond, Va., is one of the nation's largest producers of energy. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com/.
