OREANDA-NEWS. August 28, 2009. A number of mass media appeared with allegations about some incidents at the 3rd unit of Leningrad NPP.

So as to prevent further spreading of rumors and possible misleading of the population, we would like to state that:

the 3rd unit of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant was stopped on Aug 27 at 07:41 PM for a short-term unscheduled maintenance on the basis of a request sent beforehand to Energoatom Concern and the Interregional Dispatching Office of the North Western Region in compliance with the technological regulations. The cause of the stoppage was a defect (micro-crack) in the discharge header of one of the pumps.

The unit will be restarted after the removal of the defect, on Aug 31 2009.

The event was not hazardous and has had no radiological consequences for the population.

According to the automated radiation control system of Leningrad NPP, the radiation situation at the plant and in its 30-km monitoring zone is 13 microsievert/hour, which is within norm.

For detailed real-time information about the radiation background at the plant see www.russianatom.ru.

Presently, the 1st and 2nd units of Leningrad NPP are operating safely at a total capacity of 2,000MW. The 4th unit is being overhauled.