Indian Point: Radioactive tritium spiked in groundwater

Michael Risinit, TJN

Federal regulatory and Indian Point officials are searching for the source of a spike in radioactive material discovered in groundwater beneath the nuclear power plant in Buchanan.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said elevated levels of tritium were found in two monitoring wells in late March near Indian Point Unit 2. Sampling last month found the highest detected level had dropped by about 92 percent but was still higher than usual.

The tritium-laced water is in bedrock and isn't a public health concern because it's not used for drinking, the NRC said — but the levels do exceed acceptable Environmental
Protection Agency standards. The wells were installed after sampling in 2005 found trace amounts of the radioactive isotope.

"The levels that we're talking about here are very much on the low side," NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said.


http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/indian-point/2014/06/06/indian-point-investigating-tritium-leak/10092537/