Dominion Virginia Power shut down its two North Anna reactors as a result of the earthquake, according to the the company. The earthquake was felt at the North Anna Power Station and the reactor operators, following procedures, shut down the reactors," said company spokesman Jim Norvelle. "It was a manual shutdown."
The plant declared an alert, the second lowest level of emergency declaration, a commission spokesman said.
The North Anna plant lost the power from off site that runs the reactors' cooling systems, Norvelle said, but the plant's four backup diesel generators started as designed.
Officials are assessing the plant for damage, said the NRC's Joey Ledford.
"Our workers are doing a walkdown of the site as we speak," Norvelle said. The North Anna plant employs about 1,000 workers, Dominion Virginia Power said.
Dominion Virginia Power's Surry Power Station is operating as normal, he said.
