Spill an 'unusual event' or business as usual ?
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http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1699268%2C4_1_JO04_TRITIUM_S1-090804.article
Spill an 'unusual event' or business as usual ?
August 4, 2009
By KIM SMITH ksm...@scn1.com
BRACEVILLE -- Exelon officials say tritium was released because of an "unusual
event."
Tritium was released 100 feet into the air around 9 p.m. Thursday, Exelon
said, as part of normal nuclear power plant operations -- or at least it's
normal when there is a power outage.
Morris' Dresden station leaked tritium in June.
(Herald News File)
These are the locations of three local nuclear plants operated by Exelon.
AREA SPILLS
Tritium spills have been reported by nuclear power plants all over the country
in recent years. Here are the ones in our area reported by The Herald News.
� June 28, 2009: 3.2 million picocuries per liter of water leaked into the
groundwater at the Dresden facility
� Feb. 12, 2008: 878 picocuries per liter of water leaked into the groundwater
at the Braidwood facility
� May 25, 2007: 75,000 picocuries per liter of water leaked into the
groundwater from the Braidwood facility
� May 5, 2007: Minor amounts leaked into the groundwater from both the
Braidwood and Dresden facilities
� February 2006: 46,000 picocuries per liter of water released in the steam
from the Braidwood facility
� March 25, 2006: 1,000 picocuries per liter of water leaked into the
groundwater at the Braidwood facility
� March 15, 2006: 183,000 picocuries per liter of water leaked into the
groundwater at the Braidwood facility
� April 7, 2006: 46,000 picocuries per liter of water in a steam release at
the Braidwood facility
� Other leaks: Up to 6.5 millions of gallons of tritium-laced water leaked
from the Braidwood facility in 1996, 1998 and 2000.
� Kim Smith
The outage was termed an "unusual event," the lowest of four emergency
classifications defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
"We are still looking into the cause of the outage," said Paul Dempsey,
spokesman for the Braidwood facility.
The steam released into the air from Braidwood Generating Station in
Braceville, contained 11,500 to 38,000 picocuries of tritium per liter of
water.
Tritium is a radioactive hydrogen isotope that is a byproduct created when
nuclear reactors produce electricity. Exposure reportedly can increase the
risk of cancer, birth defects and genetic damage.
Neighbors described the sound as similar to a 747 taking off and lasted for
more than an hour, they said.
"We appreciate the patience of our neighbors during the initial outage in
which plant noises may have been loud and startling," said Bryan Hanson, vice
president of the Braidwood station. "It is also important people realize that
this kind of steam venting is part of the plant design and poses no
environmental health or safety issues to workers or to the public."
The release is allowed under the station's operating license, which is
regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dempsey also said the release was on both sides of the Unit 2 containment
building in the middle of their property. He said it is important for people
to know that this steam release has nothing to do with leaking of tritium into
the groundwater.
Established level unsafe?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the safe limit of tritium
in drinking water to be 20,000 picocuries per liter. The station's estimate of
the amount of tritium released falls below the safe limits at the low end and
nearly twice the safe limit at the high end.
Some don't think that EPA's established level is safe.
Last year, during a Citizen Information Network meeting in Godley, Arjun
Makhijana of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, said no
level of radiation is safe. He believes any radiation absorbed into a woman's
reproductive system can pose risks to her future children.
Required to report leaks
Tritium leaks from nuclear plants aren't new in this area.
For many years, companies spilling tritium weren't required to report is. It
is believed up to 6 million gallons of tritium-laced water have spilled out of
the Braidwood station for more than a decade.
Now, laws have changed and Exelon is required to report leaks or releases of
possible contaminants.
The previous spills came to light in December, 2005, when the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation for releasing
tritium exceeding groundwater standards at the Braidwood plant. A second
letter was sent Feb. 28, 2006, about a different spill at the plant.
Numerous water problems were experienced in neighboring Godley after those
spills. Well tests found low levels of tritium but high amounts of nitrates
and coliform bacteria.
Exelon set $11.5 million aside to build a new water system in Godley. In the
meantime, the power giant has picked up the tab for bottled water for those
living in the area.
Joe Cosgrove, manager of the Godley Public Water District, said the new system
should be in place sometime next winter. There have been some setbacks due to
easement issues but the placement of the new water lines is about 80 percent
complete.
He expects to have bids approved on the plans to build a new water tower in
several weeks.
June leak confined to Dresden
By KIM SMITH ksm...@scn1.com
MORRIS -- In June, a pipe leaked tritiated water at the Dresden Generating
Station.
Exelon officials reported the leak to state and federal authorities after
tritiated water was found in one monitoring well, in nearby storm drains and
in a concrete vault.
The monitoring well sample found levels of 3.2 million picocuries -- about 160
times the EPA's safe level for drinking water. That is the same level of
tritium found in the tanks and associated pipes, Exelon officials say.
Tritium is a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen that emits a very low
level of radiation and is a natural part of water. But it's found in more
concentrated levels in water used in nuclear reactors. Exposure to high levels
of tritium increases the risk of developing cancer.
Workers found the local area of tritiated water through the plant's
environmental monitoring program, which includes routine water sampling from
71 areas designed to detect unusual levels of tritium.
Engineers discovered the pipe leaking the tritated water using ultrasonic pipe
testing equipment. The 24-inch aluminum pipe carries tritiated water between
storage tanks and plant systems.
While engineers repaired the leaking pipe, the station pumped water from the
excavation site through the plant's waste-processing system.
There is no indication the tritiated water left the station property, said
Dresden Station site Vice President Tim Hanley in a written statement.
"At no time has there been a threat to public or employee health and safety,"
Hanley wrote.
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judyd wrote:
Thank you for this very informative story Ms. Smith. I am in agreement with
Godley concerned citizen. My husband and I heard the noises coming from the
plant well into Friday morning. He drove past to see if there was a problem
and saw the steam being released Friday morning. One other point I need to
raise is why is this story in Tuesday, Aug. 4th.'s paper instead of
immediately on Friday or Saturday following the "Incident". I suppose someone
at Exelon needed time to get the story straight. Does the public really
believe what they tell us? Not a chance.
8/5/2009 7:29 AM CDT on suburbanchicagonews.com
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godley concerned citizen wrote:
I would like to thank Kim Smith on reporting this article and hoping she will
keep updating the public on whats going on,and hope she will dig further into
the truth,they were releasing this trituim for more than a hour time and it
was coming out of more than the stacks,their was noises coming from that plant
that I have never heard before the steam was released and I have lived here
longer than that plant was here.The wind was blowing towards custerpark for
awhile,then headed towards Godley,so I pray everyone had their windows shut
down.
8/4/2009 1:00 PM CDT on suburbanchicagonews.com
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kurt555gs wrote:
Releasing Tritium is part of "normal" plant operations.
Ok Exelon, I believe everything you say.
There was a movie about "normal" nuclear plant operations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnDBXGb6Nn8
8/4/2009 10:48 AM CDT on suburbanchicagonews.com
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