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KATHRYN HERZOG: When the Monticello nuclear power plant was built in the 1960s, Y2K was still a distant concept. Most of the electronics used in the plant predate the modern computer chip, which might cause Y2K problems. Workers at the plant say they've checked and rechecked thousands of plant components to prepare for any Y2K problems and ensure safety. But ultimately, it may be the simplest technology within the plant that causes the biggest problems. Russell Van Dell is the Manager of Computer and Information Systems at NSP's Monticello plant.

RUSSELL VAN DELL: We're right now standing in one of the diesel generator compartments of the plant, and they're very reliable. These diesels are the same ones that are used out on the railroads. They're General Motors diesels. They're some of the best made.

KATHRYN HERZOG: The Monticello plant has two enormous diesel generators on site. If the plant loses its power source, these diesel generators would kick on. A nuclear power plant always needs a constant source of offsite electricity to keep the reactor core and the radioactive waste cool. Without power, the diesel generators are the plant's emergency backup to prevent a nuclear meltdown. NSP's Van Dell says the generators are constantly tested and checked for malfunctions.

RUSSELL VAN DELL: They'll be ready to go. If there is a problem either within our plant or outside of the plant, they'll be ready to go just like any other day of the year. They're ready to perform their function and keep the core safe.

KATHRYN HERZOG: Critics of nuclear power say the backup generators are not enough to ensure the public safety. Michael Mariotte is Executive Director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, or NIRS. The Washington-based nuclear watchdog group has filed emergency petitions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to bring in additional sources of backup power in case the generators fail. Mariotte says there's some question about how reliable rarely used backup systems will be in the event of an emergency.

MICHAEL MARIOTTE: The problem is that these generators are often unreliable, and they are often out of service. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has stated that these generators have a 95% reliability rating. Our own research has shown that's just not the case. In fact, along with our petition, we submitted a nine-page document just listing the problems that have occurred in these generators over just the past two years.

KATHRYN HERZOG: Mariotte says utilities across the country have experienced problems getting the generators to start up properly. NSP's Van Dell says the generators are routinely tested and can start up in less than 10 seconds. Still, Mariotte says an additional backup source is necessary.

MICHAEL MARIOTTE: If you had a regional grid failure, for example, in the upper Midwest or Great Lakes areas, you could have as many as 10, 12, maybe two dozen reactors all of a sudden sitting there without power.

KATHRYN HERZOG: Mariotte says the odds of all generators working are slim. NIRS wants the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to insist that all utilities can prove their generators are operable, have a 60-day supply of diesel fuel and backup power source on site by December 1. Otherwise, Mariotte says, the nuclear plants should be shut down until utilities can prove their reactors are ready for Y2K.

The Monticello plant currently has a 7-day fuel supply. And Van Dell says there are no plans to bring in any backup power source. When computer engineers at the Monticello plant began looking for possible Y2K problems, they started with a database of more than 42,000 items, including radiation monitoring, security systems, and emergency shutdown systems.

Standing in the plant's main computer center, NSP's Van Dell says workers have now narrowed their search to about 500 items. And he says the nuclear power plant is on track to deal with the Y2K issue. But workers have found Y2K-sensitive components that are related to overall plant safety.

For example, Van Dell says systems that control the level of water in the reactor core could be Y2K sensitive. But like other systems in a nuclear plant, there are backups. NSP is now planning for the what-ifs. What if, after all their testing of reactor parts, something is still affected by Y2K?

Emergency plans are a standard requirement at nuclear power plants. But with Y2K, workers are creating backup plans for systems they've already checked and rechecked. One example is radiation monitoring.

Not only does Y2K threaten the health of the reactor but also the health of plant workers. At various points throughout the plant, radiation monitoring stations check workers' exposure levels. NSP's Van Dell says the monitors have been examined and are expected to work come the year 2000. But some of the plant's newest technologies may pose problems.

RUSSELL VAN DELL: The concern with Y2K on these is that these were purchased here in recent years. They're not part of the original equipment at the plant. It's a much improved technology over what we used to use. But they're all also computer based. So there's microchips in these things that control these things and perform this function.

KATHRYN HERZOG: Van Dell says the plant will perform Y2K drills this spring and fall, possibly involving the Monticello police and emergency service workers. Van Dell says one drill may include area schools to see how quickly children could be evacuated. The NRC wants nuclear reactors like Monticello to be Y2K compliant by July 1. NSP says it's confident it will meet or beat that deadline. In Collegeville, I'm Kathryn Herzog, Minnesota Public Radio.