Indian Point Leaking Radioactive Tritium
By Greg Clary
The Journal News • February 19, 2009
BUCHANAN – Indian Point 2 is again leaking radioactive water and
company officials may have to shut down the nuclear reactor to repair
a broken pipe.
The 8-inch pipe is leaking tritium and water about 8 feet below the
ground. Workers at the plant have been excavating since water showed
up early Monday morning, federal regulators and plant officials told
the Journal News.
The leak comes from a pipe that runs from a tank holding condensation
collected from steam generators used to turn the turbines that make
electricity.
Since that is part of the non-nuclear side of the plant,
concentrations of tritium are about a tenth of the amount allowed by
federal guidelines for drinking water.
Company officials say they’re hopeful of isolating the pipe and making
the repairs in the next three days, without having to take the
1000-megawatt unit offline.
The tritiated water is going into the Indian Point’s discharge canal,
which drains into the Hudson River under federal permit.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials said there is no risk to area
drinking water.
Reach Greg Clary at gclary@lohud.com or 914-696-8566.
