newjerseynewsroom.com

State says no immediate danger to public

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

UPDATED

State and federal inspectors Friday were searching for the cause of a leak of radioactive water into catch basins at the Salem 2 nuclear power plant in Lower Alloways Creek in Salem County.

It was not the only nuclear plant problem to face the inspectors Friday.

Soon after making the Salem 2 problem public, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced that it had been notified by Exelon, owner of Oyster Creek nuclear generating station in Lacey, Ocean County, that a monitor that measures radiation emissions from the facility was discovered to be inoperable. It is unknown how long the monitor has been out of service.

PSEG Nuclear, which operates the Salem 2 plan, this week identified elevated levels of tritium at two catch basins, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said.

"We have been advised that there is no immediate threat to public health and safety and that the contaminated water did not leave the plant site," Martin said. “We will work closely with the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and the PSEG Nuclear to take every appropriate step to protect public health and the environment."

PSEG Nuclear described the tritium leak as 1.1 million picocuries per liter in each of the two basins. The NRC, which regulates the nuclear power industry, and the state Bureau of Nuclear Engineering are monitoring the situation.

Tritium is a mildly radioactive type of hydrogen produced during the operation of nuclear power plants, according to the NRC. It has turned up at some of the nation's nuclear reactors in recent years as the result of system leaks.

PSEG reported a tritium leak to ground water at its Salem 1 unit in 2003.

"We are very concerned and are working closely with PSEG as they investigate this matter," Martin said. "Fortunately it appears that the contaminated water is contained to the catch basins and has not gotten into ground water or the surrounding environment. Still, any leak of tritium is a concern. DEP's radiation experts will play an important role in the investigation, providing advice and conducting independent sampling."

Regarding Oyster Creek, DEP officials said while it is a critical monitor for evaluation of off-site consequences in an emergency, the stack monitor is not the only means of identifying elevated radiation. They said there are monitors throughout the plant, which can be used to provide data about radiation levels.

Martin also said there is no treat to public health stemming from the Oyster Creek problem.

"The department is confident that there have been no releases from the stack," he said. "Our independent monitoring system has not shown any elevated levels in the environment."

The DEP maintains a network of radiation monitors in the environment around the nuclear power plant. This system, called the Continuous Radiation Environmental Surveillance Telemetry system provides minute-by-minute data to the DEP in Trenton.

The DEP monitors air, soil, ground and surface water and biota at the state's four nuclear reactors.

The Salem plants sit on an artificial island in Delaware Bay. The Salem 2 plant began operation in 1981, four years after Salem 1 went into operation.

In the 1990s the Salem reactors were shut down for two years due to maintenance problems. Among other things, workers feared that reporting problems would lead to retaliation. In 2004, the NRC increased monitoring of the plants. Warm water produced by the plants and emptied into the bay is visible on satellite photos.

The Oyster Creek plant began operation in 1969 and is the oldest operating nuclear power plant in the United States. It was originally licensed for 40 years, but in April 2009, the license was extended for another 20 years.

Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club president, opposed the license renewal.

"Stack Monitor, tritium leaks, leaking pipes, sub station problems, drywall liner … the list goes on and on,'' Tittel said, citing past problems at the plant. "Oyster Creek just keeps having one problem after another. There are more problems since the new license than before.

“There needs to be an outside investigation into this plant by an independent party like Scandia Labs to show whether or not this plant is safe. The NRC can't be trusted they relicensed the plant without identifying any these problems.''