http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.phpBoth of Torness Power Station's nuclear reactors have returned to full power after an influx of jellyfish forced them to shut down last week. Unit 1 at the Dunbar station, run by EDF Energy, returned to service last Friday (July 1) having been shut down two days earlier. The station's other unit went back online on Tuesday. High volumes of jellyfish had been found on seawater screens at Torness, which filter debris out of water entering the plant to cool it down. It is not known why there were so many of the creatures in the area. The incident has led to renewed calls from environmentalists for the Government to get rid of "risky" nuclear reactors in favour of "safer" alternatives. EDF Energy had performed the shutdown as a precautionary measure but insisted members of the public had not been in any danger. Local fishermen on three trawlers helped remove the moon jellyfish from the seas around the site, allowing the station to be returned to service. Paul Winkle, station
director, said: "I'm delighted we have the units back. This is, in part, down to the great efforts of local fishermen who have helped clear the jellyfish from near the station. "The decision to shut down reactors proved right and showed that all here at Torness have safety at the heart of everything they do." But Louise Hutchins, Greenpeace climate campaigner, claimed the unusual incident was just one reason why nuclear power stations should no longer be in use. "You couldn't make it up - a multi-million pound, supposedly fail-safe nuclear plant is shut down because of a few jellyfish," she said. "It's time this Government developed some backbone and stopped bending to nuclear industry pressure for more of these risky reactors and instead invested in safe and reliable renewable energy." Torness was one of three UK stations reported to Government ministers in February after ground water at the plant was found to be contaminated with radioactive tritium leaking from two
pipelines. EDF Energy subsequently moved to reassure residents there had been no danger to the public and that the nature of the incident had been "extremely minor".
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