During groundwater measurements near the Indian Point nuclear power plant, “alarmingly high” radiation levels were found, said the governor of the US state of New York, Andrew Cuomo, on Saturday. Apparently water contaminated with the radioactive hydrogen isotope tritium leaked from the power plant. The governor ordered an immediate investigation.
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Indian Point has been criticized for decades. Construction of the power plant began in 1955, and the first reactor went online in 1962. For years it has been the talk of the town, especially with incidents. For example, around 400,000 liters of cooling water escaped from reactor 2, which was commissioned in 1973. At the time, the cause was found to be that the pipes had not been checked in the 36 years after commissioning and simply rusted through were.
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Governor Cuomo has been campaigning for a shutdown of the power plant for years and has not spared criticism: “This is neither the first time that radioactive water has escaped from Indian Point, nor is it the first time that Indian Point has made significant errors in maintenance and operation disclosed. This incident shows once again that Indian Point must no longer be operated in a manner that endangers public health and the environment. “
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Six percent of Americans live in the area
The fact that Indian Point is allowed to remain online despite all the criticism, despite the outdated technology and despite its potential danger, is likely to be related to the fact that it is currently an indispensable energy supplier for the city of New York. More than a quarter of the electricity required by New York City is produced in the old nuclear power plant.
Against this background, the fact that the nuclear power plant is only 40 kilometers from New York City is often ignored. According to Governor Cuomo, six percent of the US population live within 50 miles of the power plant.
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The current groundwater measurements have now found values of up to eight million picocuries per liter. This corresponds to an increase of almost 65,000 percent compared to previous measurements at the same point, in which 12,300 picocuries were measured. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a maximum value of 20,000 picocurie for drinking water when contaminated with tritium.
The contamination occurred when workers tried to pump high-grade radioactive water during maintenance work and a drain overflowed, said Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the US Atomic Energy Agency. A suction pump intended for such cases was out of order.
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The contaminated water will slowly diffuse into the Hudson River, on the banks of which the power plant is located, said Neil Sheehan. Normally it would then be diluted in the middle of the river to such an extent that radioactivity could hardly be measured. “We believe there is nothing to worry about the public,” Sheehan said.
Jerry Nappi, spokesman for the Entergy Group, followed this diction: Tritium in the soil is not compatible with the standards of his company, he said. The incident also has no health or safety consequences. “There is no influence on drinking water, either on the company premises or in the vicinity.”
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