Minnesota nuclear plant shuts down due to radioactive materials leak

The Monticello nuclear power plant will shut down due to the discovery of tritium leaking into groundwater, the company managing it confirmed.

The leak marks the second such occurrence in the past two years, the Washington Examiner reported. Xcel Energy, which manages the plant, said the spill was the result of temporary repairs to piping.

Xcel had been working to repair damage from the previous leak but was forced to take temporary measures ahead of more permanent repairs. Those short-term repairs appear to have been the source of the recent leak.

The company believes that "hundreds of gallons" of contaminated water were spilled as a result. The plant will be fully shutdown pending the completion of final repairs. It remains unclear when it will return to normal operations.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.