A Quarter of U.S. Nuclear Plants Leaking

[kristopher]

A Quarter of U.S. Nuclear Plants Leaking

(AP) Radioactive tritium, a carcinogen discovered in potentially dangerous levels in groundwater at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, now taints at least 27 of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors — raising concerns about how it is escaping from the aging nuclear plants.

The leaks — many from deteriorating underground pipes — come as the nuclear industry is seeking and obtaining federal license renewals, casting itself as a clean-green alternative to power plants that burn fossil fuels.

Tritium, found in nature in tiny amounts and a product of nuclear fusion, has been linked to cancer if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin in large amounts.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Monday that new tests at a monitoring well on Vermont Yankee's site in Vernon registered 70,500 picocuries per liter, more than three times the federal safety standard of 20,000 picocuries per liter.

That is the highest reading ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/01/national/main6163433.shtml

[enough]

1. This is especially significant in light of the fact that the plants are now in process of

trying to get their licenses renewed more than ten years before the actual date of renewal. So they are now trying to get the NRC to give them a permit to operate for another twenty years starting more than ten years from now.

In the case of my local nukes (Limerick), it seems obvious that they are hoping to get the permit before these problems come to light (not to mention whatever unexpected changes may occur in the larger picture).

[FBaggins]

2. "more than three times the federal safety standard of 20,000 picocuries per liter"

So the very highest reading was three times the limit for daily consumption over the course of years?

Are we supposed to care?


Ah never mind. Until we get you past "25 is larger than 12" we're never going to get you to understand "pico". :rofl:

[madokie]

3. And once pipes start leaking they generally don't stop on their own

most times the leak only gets bigger and bigger with time. Speaking of time its high time we shut these bomb making material creators down. Ingredients for making bombs were why they were pushed so hard for in the first place. We've got all the bombs we need, in fact we're destroying some of what we have now so we need to cease production of the bomb making material creators also known as nuclear power plants as too dangerous for the planet. IMHO