In a concerning development, a nuclear power plant in Minnesota has been taken offline to address a recently discovered leak near the Mississippi River. This news comes just a week after the facility’s operator, Xcel Energy, and state officials reluctantly admitted to a separate leak that occurred in November.

Valerie Myers, a senior health physicist with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told a local news affiliate,”There are wells between the ones that are showing elevated tritium and the Mississippi that are not showing any elevated levels.” Myers added, “We are watching that because the ground flow is toward the Mississippi.”

Xcel Energy claimed in a statement Thursday that the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant’s shutdown is a precautionary measure and maintains that the leak poses “no risk to the public or the environment.” Nevertheless, federal regulators are closely monitoring groundwater in the area for potential contamination by radioactive materials, specifically tritium, which could seep into drinking water supplies.

The Associated Press reported on Friday that Xcel Energy had implemented a short-term solution to capture water from the leaking pipe after the initial leak was detected last year. However, monitoring equipment revealed that water from the original leak had in fact reached the groundwater. According to Xcel Energy, the temporary fix was no longer able to capture all of the leak.

Both the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health have stated that there is currently no evidence to suggest a risk to the public. They will continue to closely monitor groundwater samples and promptly inform the public of any imminent risks.

“Should an imminent risk arise, we will inform the public promptly,” according to the statement. “We encourage the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 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.”

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