Michigan nuclear plant idled by leak

MONROE, MICHIGAN A non-radioactive cooling leak shut down a nuclear power plant south of Detroit, the Detroit News reported.

The leak was discovered recently at the Fermi II plant in Monroe, about 50 miles south of Detroit.

No one was evacuated and the public was not endangered in the incident, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission official said.

The leak, which occurred in a steel and concrete structure that surrounds the steel reactor, was originally 50 gallons a minute before workers shut off valves to stop, said DTE Energy spokesman John Austerberry.

However, the leak and resulting shutdown of the plant caused Monroe County officials to activate their emergency center, said Charles Londo, the Monroe County administrator.

DTE Energy was unable to say when the facility would be back online.

The Detroit Press