Report Shows Radioactive Spill Reported at Northeast Ohio’s Perry Nuclear Power Plant
PERRY, Ohio — At least 78 gallons of water containing radioactive chemicals spilled at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Lake County in 2024, according to a voluntary report filed by the plant’s parent company, Texas-based Vistra Corp., with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The incident, which occurred on October 14, resulted from “manipulation of a lid upon a container holding radiological waste” in an outdoor radiologically controlled area, Vistra stated. The company’s investigation found a total of approximately 78.5 gallons of contaminated water had spilled onto the ground since January, a figure the company described as a “conservative” estimate.
A Vistra representative explained that rainwater entered the container through a loosely sealed lid, causing it to overflow. The estimate of the spill volume was based on recorded rainfall from January through October 2024.
The contaminated water contained cobalt-60 and manganese-54. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cobalt-60 poses a cancer risk with prolonged exposure, while manganese-54 is considered less toxic. Vistra’s report emphasized that the spill did not result in the public receiving chemical exposure above NRC-allowed limits.
“There was no impact on the health and safety of the public or plant personnel,” the report stated.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission affirmed that the volume of spilled material did not violate safety thresholds but noted the incident was avoidable. “Plants may make low-level releases into the environment in liquid or gaseous forms as long as they don’t exceed NRC limits,” a commission representative said, adding that “incidents like this should not happen.”
Following the spill, precautionary measures were taken to mitigate environmental impact. The storage container was removed from the area, and a storm drain was covered to prevent the contaminated water from entering the stormwater system. Additionally, a third-party company initiated a sampling plan to monitor an adjacent stream affected by the spill. The incident was reported to authorities on October 29.
The October spill came amid other challenges at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. In a separate report filed with the NRC, Vistra noted that a generator at the facility was determined to be inoperable during a routine monthly surveillance run. Earlier in May, the plant temporarily closed for repairs to address a coolant leak.
The Perry Nuclear Power Plant, which began operations in the 1980s, has faced financial difficulties in recent years. The facility was slated for closure in 2021 due to unprofitability compared to natural gas plants. Ohio House Bill 6, signed into law in 2019, implemented utility bill fees to subsidize the state’s nuclear plants, including Perry and Davis-Besse. However, those subsidies were halted following a corruption scandal involving the legislation.
H.B. 6 was central to a $60 million bribery scheme orchestrated by former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to benefit FirstEnergy Corp., the parent company of Energy Harbor, which previously owned the Perry plant. Vistra acquired Energy Harbor in 2023 for $3.4 billion and now operates Perry, along with other natural gas, oil, and coal power plants throughout Ohio.
