Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NYC's Nuclear Power Plant Leaking 'Uncontrollable Radioactive Flow' Into River (inhabitat.com)

Posted by yaelk on from the the-next-natural-disaster dept.

MikeChino writes: New samples taken from groundwater near New York's Indian Point nuclear plant show that contamination levels are 80% higher than previous samples, and experts say the leak is "a disaster waiting to happen." The Indian Point nuclear power plant is located just 25 miles north of New York City, and it is a crucial source of power for the greater metropolitan region.

3 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. 80% of what? by Alypius · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Didn't we already have a story from this ridiculous website? The hysterical cry of "80%" never addresses the actual numbers nor discusses the conservative limits set by the NRC. Yet another "ZOMG nuclear!" hit piece.

    1. Re:80% of what? by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And if those two pennies had been minted in Denver, they would probably be more radioactive than we're talking about here.

  2. 80% up, 80% down, source probably found... OMG! by DRJlaw · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Semi-paywalled source of more accurate information here

    From back on the 15th:

    On Wednesday Entergy, the company that owns Indian Point, said the highest concentration of elevated tritium levels had increased by about 80 percent from the first test to the second, "fluctuations that can be expected as the material migrates."

    Entergy spokesperson Jerry Nappi said on Saturday, though, that the groundwater monitoring well that had increased by 80 percent was back down to its initial elevated level from the first sample, which was expected.

    and

    "[An inspector] saw leakage that supports the theory that the water came from [a] water storage tank," Neil Sheehan, Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesperson, said Friday.
    * * *
    The NRC inspector saw boron crystals in the pipe tunnel where the suspected leak occurred.

    No current absolute numbers, but the article reports:

    The NRC investigated a similar leak at the plant almost two years ago. In April 2014 Indian Point Unit 2 reported a leak of 687,000 picocuries per liter, Sheehan said.

    "To put that into perspective, the EPA safe drinking water limit for tritium is 20,000 picocuries per liter," he said. "However, groundwater at Indian Point is not used for drinking-water purposes."

    33 times the drinking water limit? Not scary. Find the leak, fix the problem, make a rational decision whether the maintenance risks are beginning to exceed the benefits of the plant to begin a plan for refurbishment or retirement.