Xcel to clean up Prairie Island spill by evening

Operators at the plant declared an alert early Thursday morning after workers discovered a leak on a 2-inch pipe going to a tank containing approximately 500 gallons of sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as chlorine bleach.

"The contents of the tank drained into a bermed area around the tank. There was no release of the chemical to the river," Xcel Energy said in a release.

The cause of the spill was being investigated.

"The incident has not affected plant operations; both units continue to operate at full power," Xcel Energy said.

No radioactive material was released with relation to this event, and it posed no danger to the public. No plant workers were injured.

The chlorine bleach is used to treat water that is brought into the plant for cooling.

(Reporting by Naveen Arul and Soma Das in Bangalore; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)