By Cynthia K.
GCN Live.com
Nothing gets past Joyce Riley, talk radio show host of The Power Hour, at least not for very long. On June 14, 2011, Riley covered the breaking news on the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant near Omaha, Nebraska. There seems to be a mainstream media blackout on this, which should not surprise any of us. Just like the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster, only a few internet and local news sites continue to cover it. This coverage by the mainstream media is, again, miniscule at best.
“The Power Hour” phone lines were flooded with listeners from the surrounding area of Omaha. They were astounded that this was the first time they heard anything about it. One listener called her Nebraska governor to request in investigation into the lack of information being provided to citizens close to Fort Calhoun.
Nebraska nuke plant totally surrounded by flood waters
As the Lincoln Journal Star reported, most levees around the Missouri River are built to withstand surge waters for three to four days. This, according to Nebraska Emergency Management officials. This year, Nebraskans likely will face punishing amounts of water for several months as the Army Corps of Engineers releases record amounts of water from Gavins Point.
“As the volume of water and the speed increases, we need to be very watchful in our state along the Missouri River” Governor Dave Heineman said.
WOWT-TV reports the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Facility is an island right now but it is one that authorities say is going to stay dry. They say they have a number of redundant features to protect the facility from flood waters that include the aqua dam, earthen berms, and sandbags.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction over the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant until further notice due to “hazards”. This would normally be a precautionary measure after an electrical fire disabled cooling for the spent fuel rod pool. The question is: why is this still in effect?
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For daily updates on the status of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant, tune in to the The Power Hour. The program airs weekdays, from 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. CST. Or listen On Demand anytime.