Published time: 10 Feb, 2016 22:12Edited time: 11 Feb, 2016 01:51
New
measurements at the Indian Point nuclear power plant in upstate New
York show levels of radioactive tritium 80 percent higher than reported
last week. Plant operator insists the spill is not dangerous, as state
officials call for a safety probe.
Entergy,
which operates the facility 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City,
says the increased levels of tritium represent “fluctuations that can be
expected as the material migrates.”
“Even
with the new readings, there is no impact to public health or safety,
and although these values remain less than one-tenth of one percent of
federal reporting guidelines,” Entergy said in a statement.
New
York governor Andrew Cuomo raised an alarm last Saturday over the
reports of groundwater contamination at Indian Point, noting that the
company reported “alarming levels of radioactivity” at three monitoring
wells, with “radioactivity increasing nearly 65,000 percent” at one of
them.
The
groundwater wells have no contact with any drinking water supplies, and
the spill will dissipate before it reaches the Hudson River, a senior
Entergy executive argued Tuesday, suggesting the increased state
scrutiny was driven by the company’s decision to shut down another
nuclear power plant.
“There
are a number of stakeholders, including the governor, who do not like
the fact that we are having to close Fitzpatrick,” Michael Twomey,
Entergy’s vice president of external affairs, said during an appearance
on ‘The Capitol Pressroom,’ a show on WCNY public radio.
The
James A. Fitzpatrick plant is located on the southern shore of Lake
Ontario, near Oswego, New York. Entergy said it intended to close the
plant once it runs out of fuel sometime this year, citing its continued
operations as unprofitable.
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant on the Hudson river © wikipedia.org
‘65,000% radioactivity spike’: New York Gov. orders probe into water leak at Indian Point
“We’re
not satisfied with this event. This was not up to our expectations,”
Twomey said, adding that the Indian Point spill should be seen in
context.
Though
it has never reported a reactor problem, the Indian Point facility has
been plagued by issues with transformers, cooling systems, and other
electrical components over the years. It currently operates two
reactors, both brought on-line in the 1970s.
In
December, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission allowed Entergy to
continue operating the reactors, pending license renewal. The facility’s
initial 40-year license was set to expire on December 12, but the
regulators are reportedly leaning towards recommending a 20-year
extension.
By
contrast, Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat,
Ukraine was only three years old when it exploded in April 1986. To this
day, an area of 1000 square miles around the power plant remains the
“exclusion zone,” where human habitation is prohibited.
The
tritium leak at Indian Point most likely took place in January, during
the preparations to shut down Reactor 2 for refueling, according to
Entergy. Water containing high levels of the hydrogen isotope reportedly
overfilled the drains and spilled into the ground.
According
to Entergy, tritium is a “low hazard radionuclide” because it emits
low-energy beta particles, which do not penetrate the skin. “People
could be harmed by tritium only through internal exposure caused by
drinking water with high levels of tritium over many years,” an Entergy
fact sheet says.
Environmentalist critics are not convinced, however.
“This plant isn’t safe anymore,” Paul Gallay, president of environmental watchdog group
Riverkeeper,
told the New York Daily News. “Everybody knows it and only Entergy and
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission refuse to admit it.”
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