New York nuclear plant leak causes radioactivity in groundwater

A nuclear power plant north of New York City has leaked water contaminated with radioactive tritium into the groundwater below the facility, sparking an investigation by state officials, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday.

Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that, the leak from the facility does not pose any threat to the river environment as due to dilution with the river water would leave the radioactive matter “undetectable”.

He tasked Department of Environmental Conservation’s acting commissioner, Basil Seggos, and the Health Department commissioner, Howard Zucker to “employ all available measures, including working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to determine the extent of the release, its likely duration, cause and potential impacts to the environment and public health”.

In May, a transformer at the nuclear plant exploded, caught fire and discharged oil, which leaked into Hudson River with storm drains.

‘While elevated tritium in the ground onsite is not in accordance with our standards, there is no health or safety outcome to the public, and releases are more than a thousand times below federal permissible limits, ‘ the company said.

Cuomo said the “latest failure at Indian Point is unacceptable”.

BUCHANAN, N.Y. (AP) — A radioactive material has been detected in the groundwater below a nuclear power plant north of New York City. This failure continues to demonstrate that Indian Point can not continue to operate in a manner that is protective of public health and the environment. Three of forty monitoring wells registered alarming increases.

In its statement, Entergy said, “The issue of tritium in the ground is a well-studied issue, including by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which has previously concluded historic leaks of tritium to the ground at Indian Point have no effect on public health or safety”. The plant also has the permanently shut-down Indian Point 1 unit reactor.