http://www.vermontbiz.com/news/april/vermont-yankee-says-cesium-137-not-new-leakIn a statement issued yesterday, Vermont Yankee said that recent news reports have focused less on the tritium resolution and more on the other isotopes found in the soil at the plant. Despite the recent media coverage, Vermont Yankee said the presence of Cesium-137 and other radionuclides found in the soil at the plant is not new news. During the first week of March, the company shared soil sample results with the Vermont Department of Health indicating the existence of cesium in the soil.
Two recent samples containing elevated levels of Cesium-137 taken from silt inside the advanced off gas cement tunnel and soil just outside the tunnel now confirms that the plant is the likely source. Past fuel defects that leaked the Cesium-137 and the accumulation of it over time in the silt and soil which act as filters are believed to be the reason for the elevated levels. The plant has not had a fuel defect that could leak Cesium-137 since 2001. Previous soil samples taken from just outside the tunnel were consistent with background levels that are a result of nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s.
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