Radioactive leak reported at TVA nuclear plant in North Alabama

[bananas]

Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press

A leak of radioactive water from a tank at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant released tritium into the environment this week, but a TVA spokesman said Saturday the leak was quickly contained and presented no public risk.

<snip>

Garry Morgan, a retired U.S. Army medical officer who has monitored radiation around Browns Ferry for Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation, said the release was similar to one reported at Browns Ferry in April 2010. Other tritium leaks have occurred at the Sequoyah and Watts Bar plants in Tennessee.

"Any leak of a radionuclide contaminant into the environment indicates a failure of oversight and/or attention to detail, maybe both, on the part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority," Morgan said Saturday.

He said health surveys by his group show that the increase in cancer mortality rates in the Tennessee River valley grew to 20 percent above the U.S. average since Browns Ferry began generating power in 1974. Morgan has sampled radiation levels around TVA nuclear plants for six years and claims the elevated cancer rate in the region "is attributable to chemical and radionuclide contamination."

<snip>

Read more: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2015/jan/12/radioactive-leak-reported-tva-nuclear-plant-north-alabama/282283/

[misterhighwasted]

1. "..quickly contained and presented no public risk. "

Standard answer for oil leaks to frack brine spills, to radioactive leaks.
Just pisses me off how one quickly covers the other's ass anymore

[crim son]

2. You posted exactly what I thought when I read that sentence.

We shall see. Eventually.

[misterhighwasted]

4. Yup. Another one liner is Boehner saying: "Give the American people what they want"

Which American people Boehner? Which ones, the 1%ers??
Grrrrr. I just hate that too!

[crim son]

14. I can't understand why Americans don't rise en masse

and condemn this sort of garbage. I guess most just don't pay any attention.

[jwirr]

3. I have been hearing that statement since the 50s. My dad would say "I wonder how many leaks

make it a risk?"

[jeff47]

5. Fucking science.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritium#Decay

Beta particles from tritium can penetrate only about 6.0 mm of air, and they are incapable of passing through the dead outermost layer of human skin.

Damn that science backing up the "standard answer".

[RobertEarl]

6. What happens when you drink it?

The watershed which this Tritium pollutes is the drinking water source for millions of people. So what does the science say about that, jeff?

Everyone else: Please remember that every time one of these reactors gets refueled, (about every 18 months) the top is removed and the gasses from the reactors are released to the atmosphere. Best to not be downwind, eh?

[jeff47]

7. It goes back through time and kills starfish.

You also have to evacuate the Northern hemisphere.

The watershed which this Tritium pollutes is the drinking water source for millions of people. So what does the science say about that, jeff?

Well, you'd have to actually believe in concepts like "dilution" to figure that out.

Everyone else: Please remember that every time one of these reactors gets refueled, (about every 18 months) the top is removed and the gasses from the reactors are released to the atmosphere

Yes, everyone needs to be utterly terrified of nuclear power. But dumping CO2 into the air? Eh, that's just fine. We've been doing it for centuries!

[RobertEarl]

8. You ok?

You seem to be upset about something?

All I asked is what does the science say about drinking Tritium. And you went flying all over the place. Geesh.

[RobertEarl]

9. As for the time travel on sea star bs

Well, like sid posted

It (the radiation) is also lower than the levels present in the Pacific Ocean in the 1980s due to fallout from testing of nuclear weapons, the researchers point out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6042273

So what we know is that the ocean had radiation in it from the 1960's, and we all know radiation is deadly to life forms, so this specious claptrap about time traveling radiation, is, well, just claptrap. Ya'll should just stop with that?

Since nuclear weapon testing in the Pacific from the 1950's, radioisotopes have been found off the Pacific Coast. Now, after Fukushima, those levels have increased once again. So not only is there atmospheric deposition, the actual contaminated water from Fukushima is polluting the Pacific all the way from Japan to the US.

Sea stars have had some die-offs in the past, but today is the worst die-off in history. What has changed recently?

Here is a link to the science of the sea star die-off. Note the explicitly statement that the virus is NOT THE CAUSE. And that studies are continuing.

http://www.eeb.ucsc.edu/pacificrockyintertidal/data-products/sea-star-wasting/updates.html

[jeff47]

11. No, I will not stop with you insisting radiation can go back through time.

Because that's what you still insist is happening.

The die off started months before Fukushima. Radiation levels before Fukushima were lower than the 1960s. Yet you insist a new die off started from Fukushima. That requires radiation to travel back through time. Not to mention that radiation levels in the Pacific are still lower than the 1960s.

There's also your utter failure in geography - sea stars off Japan aren't dying off. Don'tcha think the sea stars right next to Fukushima might experience more radiation? Nah, must be dilution does not happen.

Then there's your article that Fukushima would render the Northern hemisphere uninhabitable....by 2013. You defended the hell out of that one - 2 hides in one thread that was then locked. Aside from it's now 2015 and we're still here, it utterly ignores that air and water mix between the hemispheres. But it sure was great for stoking fear!!!

I will stop when you stop mindlessly linking to anything you can find that mindlessly stokes fear.

[RobertEarl]

12. You offer a lot of rant

But not one link to back any of your emotions.

Your memory has failed you?

You stated above something about "Fucking science" and when questioned about Tritium you just go off on an utter and complete no-science rant which just goes to show that you don't give a shit about science if it doesn't give you your desired results.

Show a link to the sea stars off Japan.

Show a link to my saying the N hemisphere would become uninhabitable.

You can't do it because all you have is a fevered imagination and emotional ranting.

[jeff47]

13. I've given you the links 4 times.

Here's one of them.[/link]

It's obvious you don't actually care about them. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked the additional 3 times.

And if you're going to start questioning memory issues, you should probably not pretend to have forgotten what you posted.

[RobertEarl]

15. I hope people look at those threads

I am laughing my ass off that you posted them and made up your own versions.

Here are the links:

Sky is falling:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025136319#post21

This one (or similar) is also in my journal: Starfish die off
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101682071

[jeff47]

16. So you want people to look at the threads where you claim radiation went back in time

Yet you also claim to never have claimed radiation went back in time.

Fucking science and it's one-direction time flow.

[DeSwiss]

10. K&R

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browns_Ferry_Nuclear_Power_Plant