Leaks found at two more Illinois nuclear plants

[donsu]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-060215exelon,1,5730266.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Radioactive tritium leaks have been found at two more nuclear power plant sites, Exelon Nuclear announced Wednesday, only weeks after the company disclosed a series of spills at a Will County plant.

The leaks were discovered in recent weeks at Dresden Generating Station in Grundy County and Byron Nuclear Generating Station, about 25 miles southwest of Rockford.

So far, no tritium has been detected in groundwater off Exelon property near those plants, and the leaks "pose no health or safety threat," Exelon stated in its announcement.

But Rick Cobb, a hydrogeologist who is deputy manager of the Division of Water Supplies for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said it is too early in his agency's investigation to confirm that assessment.
-snip-
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since when can radioactive tritium leak and not contaminate?

[jpak]

1. Excelon is a major GOP contributor and a Friend of Deadeye Dick

http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/020521.asp

The NRC won't touch 'em....

[OzarkDem]

5. Just like First Energy in Ohio

Sen. George Voinovich and the Plain Dealer ran interference for their leaking plant for at least 5 or 6 years.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8F8JIR8B.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db

[xchrom]

2. by repuke logic -- we need more plants because

those are leaking.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Ok Goodie...Byron's On The Rock River Aquifer

Nothing like a beautiful drive down Illinois 2 along the Rock River...and then up pops that huge smokestack.

Well, at least now the lighting at night in Rockford will be better. :sarcasm:

[Coastie for Truth]

4. KBR (a subsidiary of Halliburton)

has some predictive maintenance software- uses "supply chain management" and "failure mode effect effect analysis" tools, works on maintenance records and spare parts draw down from the subject plant - and from other similar plants. This is a significant upgrade from the Navy's old "Material and Maintenance Management" main frame based tool.

Used by the Navy to schedule reactor (and "plant" - boiler and turbines) preventive maintenance.

The question is "How far in advance to you want to replace a component that hasn't failed yet."

KBR bought the sofware, documentation, etc. from a Nuclear Engineering Professor (and Navy Nuclear submarine veteran) who was a new grand dad and saw "how much he was missing locked up in the Engineering Building."

[nemo137]

6. Wonderful. I'm from Rockford, and we can see the stacks on a clear day

While I'm generally pro-nuclear power, I'm getting to be more anti the people running the plants.

[zbdent]

7. Wonder why they never build nuclear power plants

upwind and upstream of the really nice neighborhoods . . .

:sarcasm::evilgrin:

[5X]

8. Thats impossible, I've been told too may times...

by people here that nuclear power plants are
zero emmission.

[WhiteTara]

9. why aren't people running around

with their hair on fire? This is incredible. A major city's ground water is being contaminated by tritium.
snip
Tritium, a byproduct of nuclear generation, can enter the body through ingestion, absorption or inhalation. Exposure can increase the risk of cancer, birth defects and genetic damage.

The EPA considers tritium to be among the least dangerous radioactive substances, in part because it leaves the body relatively quickly. But anti-nuclear activists have expressed concerns about the effects of chronic exposure.