Nation taking harder look at nuclear leaks

By GREG CLARY AND BRUCE GOLDING
gclary@lohud.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS

Radioactive isotopes leaking at Indian Point and four other nuclear plants across the nation could signal a new wave of environmental troubles for an industry relying on plants built as far back as the late 1950s.

"There are likely two dozen (plants), maybe more," said David Lochbaum, a nuclear safety engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The tritium leaks that were found were by happenstance. There's no reason to believe that that's an unabridged listing of plants that have had or are having leaks."

About 20 anti-nuclear groups are petitioning federal regulators to ensure that the operators of the nation's 103 working nuclear plants accurately assess the potential for tritium and other radioactive isotope leaks and come up with strategies to prevent them.

Indian Point joined the list of leaks in August, when workers found a hairline crack at the base of a spent-fuel pool that holds 400,000 gallons of radioactive water, some of which has since migrated 300 feet to the Hudson River. <snip>

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"Indian Point joined the list of leaks in August, when workers found a hairline crack at the base of a spent-fuel pool that holds 400,000 gallons of radioactive water, some of which has since migrated 300 feet to the Hudson River.

Soon after, the more dangerous isotope strontium 90 showed up in groundwater under Indian Point in concentrations three times federal drinking water limits — also apparently reaching the Hudson.



http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060322/NEWS09/603220384/1017

"The clue to the health concerns is in the (Environmental Protection Agency's) limits," Lochbaum said. "For tritium, it's 20,000 picocuries per liter of water, versus strontium, which is only 8 picocuries per liter."

The latest test results show that well No. 37, the testing area closest to the Hudson River on a straight line west from the spent-fuel pool, showed strontium levels ranging as high 26.4 picocuries per liter of water. Amounts of strontium at other wells were less than 2 picocuries per liter.

Lochbaum said once strontium 90 levels get above allowable drinking water levels, the risk for cancer and other health problems rises.

"At three times the amount allowed for drinking water, you're not in danger of cancer, but you're at higher risk," Lochbaum said. "It will cause different damage to different people. Tritium doesn't reside in the body that long, so it does less damage. Strontium tends to get absorbed in the bones and teeth and resides in the body for a very long time."


Yeah, no migration,...well, maybe just a little bit. (in what period of time, 20-30 years?)