Tests show no radiation increase at Byron nuclear plant

SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Illinois Emergency Management Agency officials say lab tests show no measureable increase of radiation after steam was released to cool a northern Illinois nuclear reactor.

Officials said Friday that the environmental sampling was conducted earlier this week after the incident at Byron Nuclear Power Plant on Monday. Agency director Jonathon Monken says the results confirm “no health hazard for people who live and work in the area.”

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday that the trace amount of radioactive tritium released in the steam was not enough to present a danger to the public.

The outage started when an electrical insulator failed and fell off the metal structure it was attached to.

That interrupted power and caused the reactor to automatically shut down as a precaution.