The failure at the three-unit Browns Ferry nuclear plant near Athens, Alabama was of "high safety significance," the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a statement.

The problem however was fixed and "the public was never endangered because no actual event occurred," the NRC said.

The valve system is important for core cooling "during certain accident scenarios and the valve failure left it inoperable, which potentially could have led to core damage had an accident involving a series of unlikely events occurred," the NRC said.

Although Browns Ferry now is operating safely, "significant problems involving key safety systems warrant more extensive NRC inspection and oversight," said Victor McCree, an NRC regional administrator.

Federal inspectors said the safety failure was classified as a "red," denoting the highest safety emergency on its four-color safety scale.

In a separate incident on April 27 the same plant temporarily shut down when it lost offsite power after severe storms damaged area power lines.

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