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Sandy Forces Shut Down Of South Jersey Nuclear Power Plant

By David Madden

SALEM COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) -- Hurricane Sandy forced one of the three nuclear plants in rural Salem County, New Jersey to shut down as a precaution early Tuesday morning.

The Salem One plant in Lower Alloways Creek was shut down manually after four of the six water pumps stopped working thanks to the storm.

PSEG Nuclear spokesman Joe Delmar said the plant was stable and there was no danger.

"This measure was taken per our procedures as a precautionary measure," he said. "The circulating water pumps use Delaware Bay and Delaware River water to condense steam on the non-nuclear side of the plant.

Delmar couldn't say when Salem One would return to service. Salem Two was offline for refueling.

The adjacent Hope Creek nuclear plant was operating normally.

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