FAA declares 'no-fly' zone directly over crippled Nebraska nuclear plant, but claims everything is just fine

Sunday, June 19, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: no-fly zone, nuclear power plant, health news

(NaturalNews) Last week, NaturalNews reported that rising Missouri River flood waters prompted officials to declare a "Notification of Unusual Event" as the Fort Calhoun Nuclear plant just outside of Omaha, Neb. (https://www.naturalnews.com/032672_nuclear_po...). Since that time, flood waters have continued to rise, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has declared a mysterious two-mile radius "no-fly" zone around the plant for unknown reasons, and federal officials continue to claim in spite of all this that plant is just fine.

According to reports, the plant has been in shutdown mode since April for refueling, and is allegedly still dry inside, despite being literally surrounding in every direction by massive flood waters. However, after the notification of unusual event was announced, as well as the cryptic FAA declaration that no aircraft is permitted to fly anywhere near the plant, some are questioning what is really going on at the plant.

What is apparent just from the official pictures released of the plant is that it is currently an island, of sorts, sitting in the middle of an ocean of water. Reports say that flood barriers have been set up around the plant to protect it, but how long can these barriers last in the presence of continually rising flood waters? And despite being in shutdown mode, the plant's spent fuel rods, electrical control devices, and other crucial equipment are all threatened by a potential breach in these barriers, which could potentially lead to a Fukushima-type situation right in the heartland of the US.

If everything is really under control at the plant, and officials expect it to stay dry and protected, why has the FAA restricted aircraft from flying within a two-mile radius of it? When asked why the FAA made this decision, Jeff Hanson, spokesman for the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), told reporters it was for "security reasons that we can't reveal." This is hardly reassuring.

Further down the river, the Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownsville, Neb., is also threatened by rising flood waters. That plant is currently still in full operation, and the US Army Corps of Engineers does not plan to shut it down unless and until the river reaches 902 feet in that area.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.businessinsider.com/faa-closes-ai...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/17/us...