The Associated Press
Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1999; 5:35 p.m. EDT

HELSINKI, Finland –– Hydrogen gas escaped momentarily into the atmosphere at a nuclear power station Tuesday in southern Finland, but caused no radiation or danger to the surrounding area, nuclear safety officials said.

The leak happened when empty hydrogen gas containers were being replaced outside at the Loviisa plant, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Helsinki.

"There was no danger to the power station workers, the environment or people in the vicinity," said Teuvo Parviainen from the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.

Several fire engines had been on standby because of a fire risk when the containers of inflammable hydrogen were allowed to empty, Parviainen said.

"It's all over now. Everything is back to normal," he added.

Both 440-megawatt nuclear reactors at the Loviisa plant functioned normally during the gas leak.

The Loviisa plant and another nuclear power station on the west coast produce 31 percent of Finland's electricity. Their safety standards are among the highest in the world, according to nuclear safety officials.