Following the devastating disaster in Japan, MN State Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch said that Minnesota has nothing to worry about. The potential catastrophe that could come from an accident (human made or natural) from a nuclear power plant could not be compared with Japan, because Minnesota does not have earthquakes of tsunamis. Therefore Sen. Koch sees no problem with moving forward the repeal of Minnesota's moratorium on nuclear power plants. However, Sen. Koch is neglecting to mention that Minnesota experiences floods every Spring. The disaster with nuclear energy in Japan is not being caused by the earthquake. It is being caused by water.

According to a Q & A about the safety of Minnesota's Nuclear power plants found on Minnesota Public Radio released the following information: St. Paul, Minn. — The earthquake and tsunami in Japan the disaster they caused at a nuclear power plant plant there are raising questions in Minnesota about how safe our two nuclear power plants are. Xcel Energy's Monticello plant, built in 1970, and the Prairie Island plant with its twin reactors, built in 1974, are both next to the Mississippi River. Together they produce one-quarter of the electricity Xcel's customers use.

Q: Are Minnesota's plants similar to the one having problems in Japan?

Xcel's plant at Monticello is similar in design to the Japanese plant: it's a GE boiling water reactor, and there have been safety concerns about this design for years. Experts say a build-up of pressure in the core could destroy the containment vessel. American plants have made modifications over the years that allow venting to prevent pressure from building up -- but that could presumably allow radioactive material to escape, as it apparently has been doing in Japan. The plant at Prairie Island is a pressurized water reactor, designed with a more robust containment vessel. It's worth remembering that all nuclear plants operate basically the same way: the nuclear reaction heats water to drive a turbine that generates electricity. Q: What is the safety record at Minnesota's plants? The Prairie Island plant had what the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) calls "cross-cutting issues," meaning a pattern of human errors and other problems that indicated a problem with safety awareness. After about a year of extra inspections and a lot of hard work, Prairie Island was returned to standard status late in 2010. The Monticello plant doesn't have a similar history of problems.

Q: The situation in Japan sounds like the worst possible combination of natural events. How would plants in Minnesota respond to similar challenges?

We do have earthquakes, but they're small ones. (Interestingly, the geologic stability in Minnesota is a factor that caused the federal government to put Minnesota on a short list of possible locations for long-term storage, years ago.) We have tornadoes and floods. Xcel Energy and the NRC say Minnesota plants are designed to withstand these natural events. Xcel says both plants are well above the one-thousand-year flood level. Xcel pays attention to flood warnings, and follows a protocol of preparations. Xcel says it would shut down a plant before the river rose to the point of affecting equipment needed for plant operations. As did the plant in Japan, Minnesota's plant has redundant backup systems. To keep the reactor core cool, two sets of back-up diesel generators and a set of batteries could operate pumps; if those lines of defense failed Xcel has portable pumps to bring water from the Mississippi River. The NRC requires the batteries to be capable of lasting four hours. This is based on the reliability of the Minnesota electrical grid, the number of electric lines coming into the plant, and the safety record of the diesel generators. Plant operators train in a simulator control room every six weeks. It has them run through computer-generated scenarios to mimic many possible events. For neighbors, Xcel publishes an 18-page guidebook on nuclear safety issues and evacuation procedures. The company trains regularly with local law enforcement and emergency officials. The Prairie Island Indian Community is located only about a block from the Prairie Island plant. The Community has complained for years about feeling left out of the loop; officials say they're not adequately informed about plant operations and problems. On Tuesday, the Tribal council issued a statement expressing concern for the Japanese people dealing with natural and nuclear disasters. "Their reality is our biggest fear," the statement says. "The tragic events in Japan demonstrate that even the most stringent and redundant safety measures cannot guarantee our safety and security."

Given that Minnesota's Republican controlled legislature would repeal the moratorium on nuclear power plants, and that Republicans are highly likely to propose de-funding of Minnesota's infrastructure that allows for safety inspections and up to date maintenance for nuclear power plants, the repeal of Minnesota's moratorium on nuclear power plants presents a risk that is much too big for the safety of the people of Minnesota.

Therefore, we are petitioning Gov. Dayton to veto any bill passed by the Minnesota GOP Legislature that repeals the moratorium on nuclear power plants.

You can also call Gov. Dayton at 651-201-3400 or 1-800-657-3717.