Output reduced at Salem 1 and 2 reactors as Irene debris clogs intake

Though the Salem 1, Salem 2 and Hope Creek nuclear reactors operated without incident during Hurricane Irene, the storm’s debris is proving to be an issue.

Power output from Salem 1 and 2 has been reduced because debris from the storm is washing downriver and clogging the towers’ cooling water intake, Today’s Sunbeam reports.

PSEG says the towers are operating at 62 percent and 90 percent respectively, though Hope Creek isn’t having the same issue. The plants and river conditions will be monitored but for now, large pieces of wood, trash and vegetation pose a clogging risk, much the same way grassing did in the spring.