Nuke plant leaking tritium into water supply.

[SirNitram]

Link

LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Radioactive water that leaked from the nation's oldest nuclear power plant has now reached a major underground aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of southern New Jersey, the state's environmental chief said Friday.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has ordered the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station to halt the spread of contaminated water underground, even as it said there was no imminent threat to drinking water supplies.

The department launched a new investigation Friday into the April 2009 spill and said the actions of plant owner Exelon Corp. have not been sufficient to contain water contaminated with tritium.

Tritium is found naturally in tiny amounts and is a product of nuclear fission. It has been linked to cancer if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin in large amounts.

"There is a problem here," said environmental Commissioner Bob Martin. "I am worried about the continuing spread of the tritium into the groundwater and its gradual moving toward wells in the area. This is not something that can wait. That would be unacceptable."

The tritium leaked from underground pipes at the plant on April 9, 2009, and has been slowly spreading underground at 1 to 3 feet a day. At the current rate, it would be 14 or 15 years before the tainted water reaches the nearest private or commercial drinking water wells about two miles away.

But the mere fact that the radioactive water — at concentrations 50 times higher than those allowed by law — has reached southern New Jersey's main source of drinking water calls for urgent action, Martin said.

He ordered the Chicago-based company to install new monitoring wells to better measure the extent of the contamination, and to come up with a plan to keep it from ever reaching a well.

The contamination is not a new issue, plant spokesman David Benson said, questioning the need for Martin's order.

"We have monitoring wells on site, and the tritium concentration is down steadily, sometimes by as much as 90 percent," he said. "We are drilling more wells, and we will work closely with the state. We have been all along."

Should the plant fail to stem the spread of the contaminated water, the state will do it and bill the company for three times the cost as a penalty, the environmental department said.

Department spokesman Lawrence Ragonese said there are several potential ways to address the contamination, including pumping tainted water out of the ground, or injecting a different part of the aquifer with water to force the plume of contaminated water backward and away from wells.

No option has yet been decided upon.

The radioactive water leaks were found just days after the plant got a new 20-year license in 2009 that environmentalists had bitterly fought for four years. Those problems followed corrosion that left the reactor's crucial safety liner rusted and thinned.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Exelon insist Oyster Creek can operate safely until it is 60 years old. But environmental groups disagree.

"The bad news is Exelon's Oyster Creek plant ... has now become a major threat to South Jersey's drinking water," said David Pringle of the New Jersey Environmental Federation. "The good news is NJDEP Commissioner Martin is taking aggressive action to safeguard our water and hold Exelon accountable for this leaky 40 year old plant."

Julia LaMense of the Eastern Environmental Law Clinic hailed the state's action and condemned the NRC "for letting it come to this."

"It's a sad day when the 'wait and see' approach taken in response to yet another 'trust us' from Exelon results in exactly what we feared — contamination of one of the most significant aquifers in the region," she said.

Oyster Creek went online Dec. 1, 1969, the same day as the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station near Oswego, N.Y. But Oyster Creek's original license was granted first, technically making it the oldest of the nation's 104 commercial nuclear reactors that are still operating.

Located about 60 miles east of Philadelphia and 75 miles south of New York City, Oyster Creek generates 636 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 600,000 homes a year, and provides 9 percent of New Jersey's electricity.

Another power source tainting the water, because another company can't be arsed to be careful. 'It said it would be good for another couple of decades..'. Just like how BP couldn't be arsed to use modern safeguards against their little accident.

[Julhelm]

Talk about blowing things out of proportion. They make it sound like it's some kind of major disaster. Par the course for the anti-nuke crowd.

[Tritonic]

It is believed at least 180,000 gallons of contaminated water was released from the plant on April 9, 2009, through two small holes in separate pipes. There is evidence that contamination 50 times higher than DEP standards has now reached the Cohansey aquifer, a significant drinking water resource for much of South Jersey.

To date, there is no evidence of an immediate threat to private or public drinking water supplies. The underground flow of the tritium-laced water moves at a rate of about one- to three-feet a day. With the nearest residential wells nearly two miles away, it would take at least 14 or 15 years for the contamination to cause a problems for those wells.

However, the fact contamination has reached the Cohansey aquifer is a violation of state statutes.

The DEP has documented levels of tritium in the Cohansey aquifer that exceed 1 million picuries per liter (pCi/L), as compared with an EPA health-based standard of 20,000 pCi/L.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0036.htm

As implied above (though rather in terms of picocuries, trillions of a curie), the desired standard is <= 0.02 microcuries a liter.

In this case the contaminated water had on the order of 1 microcurie a liter, although that is before it gets diluted by additional orders of magnitude and becomes a minuscule fraction of that.

For general perspective, the average human has a radioactivity of around 0.22 microcuries, primarily the natural K-40 radioisotope of potassium plus carbon-14 from mixed sources.

Although 180000 gallons of such water may superficially sound like a lot, average American residences use around 700000 gallons per 10000 houses a day and several hundred times that per year. Needless to say, the contaminated water is going to be on average diluted by a number of orders of magnitude by such time that trace amounts are within any major water supply, dropping far below its peak figure. Once diluted by such orders of magnitude, average exposure becomes then a small fraction of a millirem a person, far less than the hundreds of mrem/year from natural sources.

This is a regulatory violation but not much beyond that. Even if someone lived nearby in New Jersey, it'd be way more important for them, as far as radiation exposure is concerned, to spend a few bucks testing their basement for high levels of natural radon (something most people don't do and as a result many get thousands of mrem/year) than to worry excessively about a small fraction of a mrem from an artificial source.

[Beowulf]

Don't forget that tritium has a half life of about 12 1/3 years. Thus, you don't get the 1 microcurie/liter, but rather less than half that, by the time the water actually reaches the wells that provide water.

[Ryan Thunder]

That's still fucking ridiculous. Why did they ever trust a corporation with something as potentially hazardous (if neglected, I mean) as a nuke plant?

[[R_H]]

That's still fucking ridiculous. Why did they ever trust a corporation with something as potentially hazardous (if neglected, I mean) as a nuke plant?

Why are corporations trusted with oil platforms? Why are corporations trusted with chemical plants? Why are corporations trusted with producing the food you yet? Why are people trusted with operating motor vehicles?

Why do you ask retarded questions?

[Ryan Thunder]

That's still fucking ridiculous. Why did they ever trust a corporation with something as potentially hazardous (if neglected, I mean) as a nuke plant?

Why are corporations trusted with oil platforms? Why are corporations trusted with chemical plants? Why are corporations trusted with producing the food you yet? Why are people trusted with operating motor vehicles?

Why do you ask retarded questions?

Way to miss the point. If you create an entity to fulfill a need, and then make that entity driven by profit, they won't optimize to meet the need--they'll optimize to make a profit. If that means cutting corners, they bloody well will.

Hence; don't fucking privatize anything critical or sensitive.

[Soontir C'boath]

That's still fucking ridiculous. Why did they ever trust a corporation with something as potentially hazardous (if neglected, I mean) as a nuke plant?

Why are corporations trusted with oil platforms? Why are corporations trusted with chemical plants? Why are corporations trusted with producing the food you yet? Why are people trusted with operating motor vehicles?

Why do you ask retarded questions?

Way to miss the point. If you create an entity to fulfill a need, and then make that entity driven by profit, they won't optimize to meet the need--they'll optimize to make a profit. If that means cutting corners, they bloody well will.

Hence; don't fucking privatize anything critical or sensitive.

I agree, we should nationalize all critical and sensitive necessities which includes what R_H mentioned sans driver's license since that's in place already.

[[R_H]]

Way to miss the point. If you create an entity to fulfill a need, and then make that entity driven by profit, they won't optimize to meet the need--they'll optimize to make a profit. If that means cutting corners, they bloody well will.

Hence; don't fucking privatize anything critical or sensitive.

I guess this is why we don't have regulatory bodies, or social market economies, right?

[Temujin]

Ryan, while I agree that certain essential service, like health care (or at least the insurance part), should solely be the purview of the government; you don't, and certainly can't, nationalize everything that contains volatility or risk. However, you certainly can regulate the ever-loving shit out of it and threaten the corporate bastards with massive fines, imprisonment, and even being nationalized if they really can't get their shit together.

Of course try doing that to any reasonable degree in spartafreedomamerica where regulation is a sin against God and Ayn Rand, and most of the politicians are gutless and/or bought and paid for by the corporate special interests.

[Ryan Thunder]

Ryan, while I agree that certain essential service, like health care (or at least the insurance part), should solely be the purview of the government; you don't, and certainly can't, nationalize everything that contains volatility or risk. However, you certainly can regulate the ever-loving shit out of it and threaten the corporate bastards with massive fines, imprisonment, and even being nationalized if they really can't get their shit together.

Ah, but you have to enforce those regulations with inspections and what not, and the provider will look for every last loophole they can find to eke a little more profit out of their charge at the expense of the consumer. So why bother with privatization if you have to go to such great lengths to work around its natural tendencies? Why not just create a public organization and give it the objective of providing the best service as cheaply as they can manage?

[Temujin]

Ah, but you have to enforce those regulations with inspections and what not, and the provider will look for every last loophole they can find to eke a little more profit out of their charge at the expense of the consumer. So why bother with privatization if you have to go to such great lengths to work around its natural tendencies? Why not just create a public organization and give it the objective of providing the best service as cheaply as they can manage?

As I pointed out, that's the problem with trying to do this in America. Though having the government form an organization, say similar to the USPS, but then letting it go on its own could help to mitigate that problem. It would automatically be set up to provide a service and follow a tight pattern of regulations, rather than just have a profit motive.

More importantly, we need to just make lobbying downright illegal and be done with it.

[Alphawolf55]

That's incredibly stupid of an idea and against the constitution. It would make far more sense to mererly put a cap on what individuals and organizations can donate to a political cause.

[Temujin]

That's incredibly stupid of an idea and against the constitution. It would make far more sense to mererly put a cap on what individuals and organizations can donate to a political cause.

Oh noes, I went there. I did indeed commit blasphemy against the Oh Holy Writ of Toilet Paper that is the US Constitution.

I assume you mean the First Amendment's Right to Petition.

First off Omegawolf, I was strictly referring to corporate lobbying, since that is the primary form of lobbying that takes place, and is the kind that most people refer to when they refer to lobbying and lobbying reform. Now maybe you believe corporations should have a voice in government affairs.

Well, how’s that worked out? That's right, badly! Corporate special interests with more money than the government (since its all imaginary anyway) can buy whatever legislation they want, while sinking the economy and destroying the environment; and then get a bailout because they're to important to the economy to be allowed to hurt, let alone fail. Meanwhile, John and Mary Q. Public have to suffer for it.

Corporations have consistently proven themselves to be driven by greed, and incapable of not abusing the power that comes from their wealth. Thus, they should have as little of an influence as possible in government affairs.

And as for the Oh Holy Writ of Toilet Paper, it’s simply a historical document. Its not one of the fucking sacred scrolls, not that it would matter if it was. Get the fuck over it!

[adam_grif]

People will call this a disaster and try to use it as PROOF that new nuclear power plants are dangerous and shouldn't be built, even though this is America's oldest.

[ShadowDragon8685]

And as for the Oh Holy Writ of Toilet Paper, it’s simply a historical document. Its not one of the fucking sacred scrolls, not that it would matter if it was. Get the fuck over it!

They are in fact law, whether or not you like it. In fact, they're the foundation of law in this country.

[bobalot]

That's incredibly stupid of an idea and against the constitution. It would make far more sense to mererly put a cap on what individuals and organizations can donate to a political cause.

Hey douchebag, point out where and how it's against the constitution. I wasn't aware that that giving bribes suitcases full of cash to the government was some form of protected right.

[Uraniun235]

More importantly, we need to just make lobbying downright illegal and be done with it.

How do you define "lobbying"?


If I called my Senator's office, with the intent of attempting to persuade him to adopt a certain position, would that constitute lobbying? If I traveled to Washington D.C. tomorrow, and attempted to arrange a meeting with my Senator, would that constitute lobbying? What if I ran into him by chance in a restaurant? Or in a hallway or on the street? Suppose I stayed the entire week to try and contact the entire Oregonian delegation?

Does it become lobbying if I accept payment for the service of attempting to persuade a Senator to adopt a position? What about volunteering my services?



Corruption is definitely wrong and should be rooted out, and some corruption does take the form of lobbying; but not all lobbying is corruption.

[Norade]

More importantly, we need to just make lobbying downright illegal and be done with it.

How do you define "lobbying"?


If I called my Senator's office, with the intent of attempting to persuade him to adopt a certain position, would that constitute lobbying? If I traveled to Washington D.C. tomorrow, and attempted to arrange a meeting with my Senator, would that constitute lobbying? What if I ran into him by chance in a restaurant? Or in a hallway or on the street? Suppose I stayed the entire week to try and contact the entire Oregonian delegation?

Does it become lobbying if I accept payment for the service of attempting to persuade a Senator to adopt a position? What about volunteering my services?



Corruption is definitely wrong and should be rooted out, and some corruption does take the form of lobbying; but not all lobbying is corruption.

It's a sticky subject and one that I would hate to legislate, but I see where he's coming from in terms of saying that not all lobbying is good and much of it should have stringent rules placed upon it to hobble special interest groups and large companies.

[Temujin]

And as for the Oh Holy Writ of Toilet Paper, it’s simply a historical document. Its not one of the fucking sacred scrolls, not that it would matter if it was. Get the fuck over it!

They are in fact law, whether or not you like it. In fact, they're the foundation of law in this country.

Yes it is the foundation of law in the US, that doesn't mean it’s perfect. And by treating it as some holy scripture carved in stone, as many are wont to do, only adds to the problem of trying to fix its flaws.

It should be viewed as any other code of laws in history: Important as a step in the right direction, yes; treated as though it’s the perfect word of the law and infallible, no!

[Temujin]

How do you define "lobbying"?


If I called my Senator's office, with the intent of attempting to persuade him to adopt a certain position, would that constitute lobbying? If I traveled to Washington D.C. tomorrow, and attempted to arrange a meeting with my Senator, would that constitute lobbying? What if I ran into him by chance in a restaurant? Or in a hallway or on the street? Suppose I stayed the entire week to try and contact the entire Oregonian delegation?

Does it become lobbying if I accept payment for the service of attempting to persuade a Senator to adopt a position? What about volunteering my services?



Corruption is definitely wrong and should be rooted out, and some corruption does take the form of lobbying; but not all lobbying is corruption.

Perhaps you missed the point where I clarified what lobbying I was referring to and why?

Corporations have by their own behavior exempted themselves from this right. While I'm under no delusion that this can be enforced anywhere near 100%, I'm for clamping down so hard on these fuckers that they squeal like the capitalist pigs that they are.

[Temujin]

How do you define "lobbying"?


If I called my Senator's office, with the intent of attempting to persuade him to adopt a certain position, would that constitute lobbying? If I traveled to Washington D.C. tomorrow, and attempted to arrange a meeting with my Senator, would that constitute lobbying? What if I ran into him by chance in a restaurant? Or in a hallway or on the street? Suppose I stayed the entire week to try and contact the entire Oregonian delegation?

Does it become lobbying if I accept payment for the service of attempting to persuade a Senator to adopt a position? What about volunteering my services?



Corruption is definitely wrong and should be rooted out, and some corruption does take the form of lobbying; but not all lobbying is corruption.

I should also add the obvious, that you have about a snowball's chance in hell of significantly steering your Rep. to adopt a position that they aren't already leaning towards do to their fear of losing an election, or because some corporate fat cat has already backed a dump truck full of money up to their house.

Sure there are some principled politicians, but the positions they come down on are generally already in line with what the majority of their constituency wants anyway.

[Uraniun235]

Perhaps you missed the point where I clarified what lobbying I was referring to and why?

Corporations have by their own behavior exempted themselves from this right. While I'm under no delusion that this can be enforced anywhere near 100%, I'm for clamping down so hard on these fuckers that they squeal like the capitalist pigs that they are.

What I'm driving at is, how would you plan on accomplishing this practically? Which specific activities are you going to outlaw? How are you going to determine who is engaging in unlawful lobbying?

[Norade]

Perhaps you missed the point where I clarified what lobbying I was referring to and why?

Corporations have by their own behavior exempted themselves from this right. While I'm under no delusion that this can be enforced anywhere near 100%, I'm for clamping down so hard on these fuckers that they squeal like the capitalist pigs that they are.

What I'm driving at is, how would you plan on accomplishing this practically? Which specific activities are you going to outlaw? How are you going to determine who is engaging in unlawful lobbying?

I would propose any lobbying on behalf of a corporation by anybody on their payroll be made illegal. I would also cap contributions by all employees of a company at ten times the individual allowed contribution.

[Temujin]

Perhaps you missed the point where I clarified what lobbying I was referring to and why?

Corporations have by their own behavior exempted themselves from this right. While I'm under no delusion that this can be enforced anywhere near 100%, I'm for clamping down so hard on these fuckers that they squeal like the capitalist pigs that they are.

What I'm driving at is, how would you plan on accomplishing this practically? Which specific activities are you going to outlaw? How are you going to determine who is engaging in unlawful lobbying?

Do I realistically believe any meaningful reform will ever happen in this country? Fuck no. Nothing short of draconian methods will be effective.

I’m not going to try and write a book on the subject, as its not my area of specialty, but to start, you have to deconstruct the industry that lobbying has become.

The official job title as a “lobbyist” would need to be strictly defined, with strict guidelines on just who and who cannot lobby.

Corporations, anyone representing corporations, third parties who obviously are financed by corporations, etc. should be banned 100% from actively engaging in any kind of official lobbying under the law, with guaranteed mandatory minimum massive ass fines and imprisonment to all involved. Anyone who ever worked or served in Congress should likewise be banned from lobbying.

End corporate personhood and limit corporations’ influence in politics by massive campaign reform as well; essentially creating a very limited and level playing field.

Set strict limits on the behavior of Senators and House Reps. No gifts, meals, etc. You want to have a meeting, have a meeting. You don’t need to do it over a meal. Attach an auditor to each one who meticulously monitors their finances, making it 100% public at the end of the year. Privacy, fuck you, you’re a public servant. You don’t get financial privacy.

Will this be 100% effective? Of course not; political corruption is as old as politics, and corporate based corruption is as old as the first proto corporation.

Now if you'll excuse me, my cranky ass is going to bed!