Nuclear station tests for potential water hazard

BRACEVILLE — The nuclear station is testing for high levels of tritium, a potentially dangerous isotope, in the groundwater — after violations were cited last week.

Tritium is a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen that emits a low level of radiation and is a natural part of water. It is found in more concentrated levels in water used in nuclear reactors. High exposure to tritium increases the risk of developing cancer.

Local drinking-water wells show no tritium concentrations above the federal standard. But higher than normal concentrations of tritium were discovered in November close to an underground pipe inside the plant's northern boundary, said a spokesman for a company spokesman said.

Shortly afterward, the company launched a remediation program, the spokesman said.

"Even though the public faced no health issues as a result of this discovery, it is our policy to keep the public informed of such issues," said Neal Miller, spokesman for the Exelon Nuclear Braidwood Station.

Exelon is testing the pipe near the location where the company believed it found the highest concentration of tritium. In the past, the pipe carried water containing diluted tritium from the plant to the Kankakee River, where it was periodically discharged under federal guidelines as part of normal plant operations, Miller said.

Technicians have analyzed 211 groundwater samples taken from 158 test wells — both on and off the property — and from a 25-acre pond just north of the station.

"The highest concentration of tritium discovered was 226,000 picocuries per liter in a remote area far from private drinking wells," Miller said. "This does not represent a health or safety threat."

Federal guidelines allow 20,000 picocuries of tritium concentration per liter of drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency establishes the guidelines.

The next highest concentration found to date was about 59,000 picocuries per liter, from a test well 75 feet north of the property line, Miller said.

Water from the 25-acre pond measured 2,400 picocuries per liter.

On Dec. 20, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency notified Exelon of the violations of Illinois standards. The station is required to provide results of its ongoing investigation and plans to resolve the violations by early February.

Thirteen of 14 private drinking-water wells near the plant showed no tritium above the normal background levels. The 14th showed a low level of 1,525 picocuries per liter. Additional test wells are in the process of being dug to confirm test results.

More than 20 full-time technical experts, environmental consultants and others have been assigned to complete the groundwater studies and to oversee mitigation of the tritium, Miller said.

"While the news is generally good and there is not a health or safety threat, our goal and obligation is to eliminate this tritium in groundwater and to make sure no tritium is ever again allowed to go where it is not supposed to go," said Keith Polson, Exelon Nuclear vice president. "We will continue to work full speed to this end; we will take whatever steps necessary in the meantime to ensure the full confidence of our immediate neighbors."

More information on tritium can be found on the EPA's Web site, www.epa.gov.