Camera may have found source of radioactive leak at Indian Point

[DoYouEverWonder]

November 3, 2005

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A remote-controlled underwater camera may have found the source of a leak of radioactive water from the spent-fuel pool at the Indian Point 2 nuclear power plant, the plant's owner said Thursday.

The video camera found what could be rust spots near a joint in the steel lining of the pool, said Jim Steets, a spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast. The discoloration was seen at depths ranging from 16 to 22 feet.

In August, during an excavation project, the company discovered slightly radioactive water on the outside of the underground wall of the spent fuel pool. The 40-foot-deep pool holds the highly radioactive fuel assemblies that have been used in the nuclear reactor in Buchanan.

Concern grew last month after low levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope, were found in water at the bottom of six sampling wells on the Indian Point property. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission tightened its oversight of Indian Point.

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/ny-bc-ny--indianpoint1103nov03,0,3858815.story?coll=nyc-regionhome-headlines

I would assume we will be seeing more of this sort of thing has these plants get older. Doesn't that make you happy that BushCo wants to go back to building more of these monstrosities?

[Tesha]

1. But it's okay; we can keep nuclear waste isolated for 10,000 years.

Even though we can't keep it isolated for fifty years.

Tesha

[HereSince1628]

2. Compounding the problem, the corporate slumlords want to reap

profits not do maintenance.

When it gets to be more than they want to pay look for them to declare bankruptcy and use the lever of imminent danger to press the clean-upcost onto the taxpayers.

[mbperrin]

3. Aww, it's just "slightly" radioactive, right?

Jeesh, nit-pickin' anti-nuke nuts!

(ME, TOO)

[drb]

4. You've probably got more tritium on your watch....

...than they found in total in those monitoring wells.

Here's the drill. The monitoring wells are dug basically in a circle surrounding the spent fuel pool. If anything starts to leak, the wells catch it long before it gets anywhere where it might actually harm anybody or anything.

Much as we don't like it, nuclear is maybe the best energy option. What's your other choice?

Coal? Sorry, global warming - can't burn coal.

Natural gas? Ditto - global warming.

Solar? Fine. Ready for your electric bill to triple?

Wind? Great. What happens when the wind stops?

Much of my job involves working around power plants, and trust me - the environmental people at our plants take their jobs very, very seriously. You cannot even throw an empty spray can in the trash - it's a major disciplinary offense - it has to be properly emptied, the contents packed up as hazardous waste, and the can itself is recycled.

The real answwer is to recycle the spent fuel, and make more fuel out of it. I'm just not sure why that's not being done....

[WhiteTara]

5. not long ago I read Chernobyl's containment

building was leaking also, but have heard nothing for some time now. That anyone would want to build another one of these is beyond me.

[Massacure]

6. I haven't heard of Chernobyle leaking, but it is getting ready to collapse

[WhiteTara]

7. thanks. That was what I had heard

do you know what is being done?

[Massacure]

8. Not enough

Russia cannot raise enough money to make all the necessary repairs.

[WhiteTara]

9. wow. that's scary