Prairie Island Nuclear Plant Unit Shut Down

RED WING, Minn. (AP/WCCO) — Operators of the Prairie Island nuclear plant in Red Wing are shutting down one of its two units because of a fire alarm.

Xcel Energy says there's no indication of a fire, but managers began taking Unit 2 off line Thursday morning so investigators can determine why the alarm was tripped.

Under rules established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the operators declare a "notification of an unusual event." It's the lowest of four emergency classifications established by the commission.

Xcel says there's no threat to public safety. Unit 1 continues to operate at full power as of Thursday afternoon.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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