Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Workers Dislodge Stuck N-Fuel Rods

Compiled From Wire Services

Workers carefully dislodged a stuck bundle of uranium fuel rods without releasing any radiation Sunday during a painstaking operation at the nation’s largest nuclear power plant.

The 1,500-pound fuel assembly was hoisted from the bottom of the reactor core at about 5 a.m. at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, said Bill Stewart, executive vice president for nuclear power at Arizona Public Service Co.

The entire procedure was conducted under 50 feet of water using equipment attached to a long pole and operated by workers on a bridge above.

Plant officials believe a damaged cap, part of a 100,000-pound device used to set the fuel in place, forced one of 241 bundles of fuel rods down and wedged it between pins at the bottom of the reactor.