Radioactive Steam Escapes From Ill. Plant

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2006/apr/07/040709044.html

GODLEY, Ill. (AP) - Steam containing radioactive tritium escaped from a valve at an Exelon Corp. plant even as company officials met with local residents to discuss efforts to clean up earlier leaks.

About 500 gallons of water pooled on the grounds of the Braidwood Generating Station as the steam condensed Thursday, and some of it flowed into a ditch that lies between the plant and the village of Godley, company spokesman Craig Nesbit told the Chicago Tribune for a story on its Web site.

Tests showed no detectable levels of tritium in the water in the ditch, although levels measured in the water pooled on plant grounds were more than twice federal drinking and groundwater limits, Nesbit said. He said more precise testing would be conducted.

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The Braidwood plant, located about 60 miles southwest of Chicago, has sent millions of gallons of tritium-tainted water into the ground in several leaks dating back to 1996. When Thursday's release happened, Exelon officials were meeting with residents to discuss plans to clean up earlier leaks.

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[Xeric]

1. no problem......

[Orrex]

2. Tritium?!? Has Doctor Octopus been seen in the vicinity?

[madrchsod]

3. no problem--that plant is east of me

but i`ve got one to the north and west of me...maybe i should be worried?

[JohnWxy]

4. What's the problem? Cancer is treatable!

"Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen commonly found in ground water but is more concentrated in water used in nuclear reactors. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to tritium increases the risk of developing cancer."


Hell, this stuff is found in the environment what's a few more roentgens gonna hurt? Barely more than backround. NO problemo!

"Uh, how come your face is on sideways?"

[hunter]

5. A condensed AP article from the Las Vegas Sun?

We can do better than that. How 'bout these:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0604070302apr07,1,6235166.story?coll=chi-newslocalssouthwest-hed
http://www.epa.state.il.us/community-relations/fact-sheets/exelon-braidwood/exelon-braidwood-2.html
http://www.epa.state.il.us/community-relations/fact-sheets/exelon-braidwood/exelon-braidwood-1.html

It might be reasonable to compare the amounts of radiocactive tritium released at Braidwood to the normal toxic releases of a coal fired power plant, and the mines that feed it.

[jpak]

6. or from the uranium mines, mills, enrichment plants

and fuel fabrication facilities too....

[hunter]

7. I agree. Hard Numbers.

But I rarely agree with you that radioactive toxins are qualitatively any different than other sorts of toxins. They are sequestered or transported in the environment by the same mechanisms that sequester and transport non-radioactive toxins.

Things like mercury are toxic too, and they have a "half life" of forever. Perhaps most importantly in these discussions, the CO₂ we spew into the atmosphere certainly doesn't "decay" fast enough, and the rising levels of CO₂ in the oceans are very alarming.