I have to laugh at the part that says the swans like to spend their winter in Minnesota!!
I believe they nest in Canada and some in Alaska and only fly south until they find open water for the winter. The water is probably safety from coyotes, dogs, and wolves.

{{!gwi}}

Wayne, I think the swans might have better long term success evading coyotes, dogs and wolves than wintering on the outflow of Monticello's nuclear reactor.

Poor swans. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

{{!gwi}}

What Sue's (I'll never get used to calling you Lily) picture didn't show.

Ah Althea, I forgot myself and was actually enjoying the swans for a bit....heres more of what you are referencing to I suspect.

It seems that Monticello was built in the 1960's, prior to much computer dependency. I beieve it is licensed to go ahead until 2010.

Sue ( used to be Gardengardengardengarden)

Here is a link that might be useful: whats your zipcode?

I'm well within the danger zone Sue.

I should have elaborated yesterday. Monticello & Prairie Island plants have had a number of safety problems. It was discovered in 2001 that a part of Monticello's venting system to protect the public from radioactive steam in case of an accident had never been functional. Both plants had flaws which prevented almost all of the flood gates to protect the plants from rising water from working. Those two major problems have been resolved, but the age of the reactors and ongoing maintenance issues lead me to believe the plants are not a good wildlife sanctuary.

Here is a link that might be useful: monticello reactor design

Beginning in 1999, trumpeter swans began getting sick and dying at Judson Lake, Washington, near Abbottsford, British Columbia. The cause has been traced to lead shot, that the swans ingest along with gravel. They need gravel to aid in the digestion process, but they can't discriminate between lead shot and gravel, so they swallow both. In the past 5 years, over 1000 swans have died in this manner. It has been illegal to use lead shot for waterfowl hunting since 1989, in Washington State. It could be that the long-necked swans are rooting around in the muck and digging up old lead shot, put there before the ban took effect. Happily, the midwestern flock, that winters in Minnesota, is not affected.

Here is a link that might be useful: Judson Lake trumpeter swans

The lead sounds like a culprit that may always be in the environment for many years to come.

Althea, the link I provided below has a video clip about 14 mins long and talks about more scarey nuclear power plant concerns.

Here is a link that might be useful: monitor nuclear reactors

Along with lead shot, fishing tackle sinkers are responsible for poisoning swans and loons. A bill was introduced in the state legislature two years ago seeking to restrict the use of lead in sinkers. It didn't pass. Instead, the DNR has launched a re-education program encouraging anglers to use alternatives to lead. Some states have passed restrictions on lead sinkers due to their adverse effect on waterfowl when they are lost.

Thanks for the link Sue. The video clip didn't work for me. The possibility of having a nuclear waste storage facility as a target for terrorism adds another to the long list of reasons to not have a central storage facility such as the one proposed for Nevada.