State says it's testing for tritium near reactor

SPRINGFIELD (AP) — Workers from Illinois' Emergency Management Agency are collecting water and vegetation samples to check for radioactive tritium around a northern Illinois nuclear plant.

Agency Director Jonathon Monken said Tuesday that there's no reason to believe harmful levels of tritium were released from a stalled reactor at the Byron Generating Station. One of the site's reactors shut down automatically Monday after an off-site power failure, and steam was vented to reduce pressure on the reactor.

Federal and company officials said the level of tritium released with the steam was safe.

Monken says it's his agency's public duty to verify current levels of tritium in the area, and results should be available within a few days.

Exelon Energy officials say they traced the power failure to an electrical insulator in a switchyard.

Related: Illinois reactor shutdown blamed on bad insulator