News Flash

Wright County News

Posted on: March 24, 2023

Xcel Energy, MPCA Release Statements Regarding Monticello Nuclear Plant

Xcel Energy and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency have released statements dealing with the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. Both statements can be seen below.

Here is the statement from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency:

Statement on Xcel Energy shutdown of Monticello nuclear plant 
 (March 23, 2023) - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Health are encouraged that Xcel Energy is taking immediate action to address the recurring issue of water containing tritium leaking from the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant.  

State agencies were made aware this afternoon of an additional water leak at the Monticello facility following previous news about the leak of 400,000 gallons of water containing tritium. In the State Duty Office report filed today, Xcel Energy states that the new leak, located near the spot of the previously reported release, is still ongoing.  

State agencies have no evidence at this point to indicate a current or imminent risk to the public and will continue to monitor groundwater samples. Should an imminent risk arise, we will inform the public promptly.  

We encourage the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which has regulatory oversight of the plant’s operations, to share ongoing public communications on the leak and on mitigation efforts to help residents best understand the situation.  

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health will continue to review Xcel’s response to the groundwater contamination and oversee the recovery, storage, and disposal of the impacted groundwater. We will also continue to coordinate with city, county, and other local officials to make sure the public is kept informed of developments.   

Contact: Andrea Cournoyer, 612-438-8932


Here is the statement from Xcel Energy:

Xcel Energy to Take Monticello Nuclear Plant Offline to Fix Tritium Leak

MINNEAPOLIS (March 23, 2023) – Xcel Energy will begin powering down its Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant tomorrow to allow it to more quickly perform the repairs needed to permanently resolve a leak of water containing tritium at the plant. The company does not anticipate any impacts to customers’ electric service from powering the plant down early.

“While the leak continues to pose no risk to the public or the environment, we determined the best course of action is to power down the plant and perform the permanent repairs immediately,” said Chris Clark, president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “We are continuing to work with and inform our state, federal, city and county leaders in the process.”

After identifying the source of the leak late last year, which poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment, Xcel Energy implemented a short-term solution to capture water from the leaking pipe and reroute it back into the plant for re-use. This solution was originally designed to prevent any new tritium from reaching the groundwater until the company could install a replacement pipe during a regularly scheduled refueling outage in mid-April.

However, monitoring equipment at the plant Wednesday indicated a small amount of new water from the original leak had reached the groundwater. Upon investigation, operators discovered the temporary solution was, over the past two days, no longer capturing 100% of the leaking water. The new leakage — anticipated to be in the hundreds of gallons, a much smaller amount of water than previously leaked — will not materially increase the amount of tritium the company is working to recover and does not pose any risk to health or the environment.

Tritium is a compound that is naturally present in the environment and is commonly created in the operation of nuclear power plants. It emits low levels of radiation, similar to everyday materials people use and the food we all eat.

Ongoing monitoring from over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water remains fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water. State agencies continue to monitor Xcel Energy’s remediation work to ensure the continued safety of the local community and surrounding environment. To date, Xcel Energy has recovered about 32% of the tritium released and will continue recovery over the course of the next year.

The schedule for resuming operation at the plant is still to be determined. The plant is also scheduled to begin its refueling process this spring, with maintenance and construction projects taking place that can only be completed when the plant is not operating. Refueling and plant maintenance will improve the reliability of equipment at the plant and help to ensure that Monticello continues to provide safe, clean, and reliable power to the region.

Members of the public who have questions about the leak or the plant powering down early are invited to attend one of two open houses at the Monticello Community Center: Friday, March 24 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Monday, March 27 (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.).

Facebook Twitter Email

Other News in Wright County News

Wright County is Hiring

Posted on: May 25, 2023

CSAH 3 in Cokato to Close May 22

Posted on: May 17, 2023

May 14-20 is National Police Week

Posted on: May 15, 2023

Wright County in Red Flag Warning

Posted on: May 2, 2023

No Mow May Right Around the Corner

Posted on: April 26, 2023

CSAH 32 to Re-Open This Afternoon

Posted on: April 27, 2023

Otsego Park Closed

Posted on: April 17, 2023

April is Donate Life Month

Posted on: April 7, 2023

HHS Honors Celebrate Diversity Month

Posted on: April 5, 2023

Update on Howard Lake Shooting

Posted on: March 21, 2023

Dairy Producers Night Out Postponed

Posted on: March 9, 2023

Compost & Recycling Center Closed Thursday

Posted on: February 21, 2023

Monticello City Hall Closed Indefinitely

Posted on: February 16, 2023

Tilbury Makes First Court Appearance

Posted on: January 31, 2023

Buffalo Strong Week Coming Feb. 6-10

Posted on: January 24, 2023

Shooting in Monticello

Posted on: January 17, 2023

County Offices Closed Monday

Posted on: January 13, 2023

Parks & Rec Winter Rentals Begin Jan. 7

Posted on: December 30, 2022

Kids Can Track Santa Through NORAD

Posted on: December 23, 2022

County Offices Closed Monday

Posted on: December 23, 2022

Highway Department Provides Storm Update

Posted on: December 22, 2022

Recycling Center to Close Early Today

Posted on: December 22, 2022

County Board Adopts 2023 Budget, Levy

Posted on: December 21, 2022

License Center Drop Box Available 24/7

Posted on: December 21, 2022

HHS Hosted Child Foster Care Holiday Party

Posted on: December 12, 2022

Road Work on CSAH 19 In St. Michael Today

Posted on: December 12, 2022

County Offices Closed Thursday and Friday

Posted on: November 23, 2022

Public Health Conducting Flu Shot Clinics

Posted on: November 18, 2022

Drought Worsening in Minnesota

Posted on: November 10, 2022

Bertram Boo-tacular Coming Saturday

Posted on: October 25, 2022

Absentee Voting Information Available

Posted on: October 25, 2022

Co. Rd. 107 to Re-Open Friday

Posted on: October 20, 2022

DNR Addresses Drought in Minnesota

Posted on: October 14, 2022

MnROAD Back Up and Running on I-94

Posted on: October 13, 2022

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on: October 11, 2022

Disabled Veteran Duck Hunt A Big Success

Posted on: October 10, 2022

Zebra Mussels Confirmed in Buffalo Lake

Posted on: October 7, 2022

Drought Worsening in Minnesota

Posted on: October 6, 2022

MnDOT Provides Update on I-94 Construction

Posted on: September 27, 2022

Deadline for REAL ID Coming in May 2023

Posted on: September 26, 2022

WCCA Energy Assistance Program Opens Oct. 1

Posted on: September 23, 2022

County Growth Continues at Rapid Pace

Posted on: September 23, 2022

Day Use at Schroeder Park Closed Thursday

Posted on: September 21, 2022

County Has Job Openings Available

Posted on: September 16, 2022

Trail in Ney Park Closed for Two Weeks

Posted on: September 13, 2022

Fair Board Has Openings for Multiple Seats

Posted on: September 9, 2022

Offices Closed Monday, Sept. 5

Posted on: September 2, 2022

CSAH 30 to Reopen to Traffic Wednesday

Posted on: August 30, 2022

Otsego Park Playground Closed Today

Posted on: August 26, 2022

DNR State Fair Fish Cam Has Gone Live

Posted on: August 23, 2022

WCEDP to Host Hiring Event

Posted on: August 11, 2022

MnDOT Updates I-94 Project

Posted on: August 10, 2022

Officer-Involved Shooting in Otsego

Posted on: August 7, 2022

National Night Out is Tonight

Posted on: August 2, 2022

HHS Thanks United Way for Donation

Posted on: July 12, 2022

HHS Looking for Foster Parents

Posted on: June 29, 2022

HHS Office Closed Tuesday

Posted on: June 20, 2022

HHS Expresses Thanks for Donation

Posted on: June 20, 2022

County Has Job Openings Available

Posted on: June 16, 2022

MnDOT Announces I-94 Lane Closures

Posted on: June 13, 2022

HHS Has Drive-Thru Drop Box

Posted on: June 13, 2022