The Nation - News from April 23, 1989

Thousands of gallons of water flooded a control room at the River Bend nuclear power plant, knocking out pumps that help cool the reactor, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman said. The plant, which is located about 25 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, La., had been shut down for about three weeks for refueling and maintenance when the accident occurred, said Bill Benedetto, spokesman for plant owner Gulf State Utilities. Benedetto said that the reactor core’s temperature never exceeded 95 degrees and that the pumps were working again within 10 minutes of the accident. No injuries were reported. Federal investigators are seeking the cause of the accident.