Shutting down the Monticello nuclear power plant to fix a new leak of radioactive water resulted in a cooldown of the Mississippi River that killed hundreds of fish, Xcel Energy said on Monday.
Xcel spokesman Theo Keith said when active, the nuclear plant draws water from the river for cooling steam and equipment and returns it at a warmer temperature.
The warm water allows fish to stay active in the area, but when the plant powers down, that warming effect is gone, affecting the fish. Keith said they’ve found 230 dead fish so far, even though Xcel “powered down the plant slowly to mitigate the impacts.”
Keith said Xcel is working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to address the situation.