News

NJ nuclear plant probes possible radiation release

LACEY TOWNSHIP,
> N.J. (The Associated Press) - Apr 16
>
> Operators of a New Jersey nuclear power plant say they are
> investigating possible release of a low-level radioactive substance
> this week.
>
> Officials at the Oyster Creek plant in Lacey told the Nuclear
> Regulatory Commission that detectable levels of tritium were found in
> a cable vault while workers were replacing a cable to an emergency
> service water pump on Wednesday. They said no release seems to be
> occurring, but the source of tritium water was not known.
>
> Tritium occurs naturally in the environment at very low levels
> and may be released as steam from facilities such as nuclear reactors.
> It also can leak into soil and ground water.
>
> The Lacey facility, which is the nation's oldest nuclear power
> plant, was granted a new 20-year operating license earlier this month
> by the NRC.
>
>
> Grand Gulf gets top federal safety rating PORT GIBSON, Miss. (The
> Associated Press) - Apr 16
>
> Entergy Corp.'s Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station near Port Gibson
> has been given a "green" safety rating by the Nuclear Regulatory
> Commission for 2008.
>
> The ratings were released this week.
>
> "Green" is the NERC's top safety rating. It covers areas
> including incident response, integrity of the barriers between
> radioactive fuel inside the reactor and the public, emergency planning
> and limiting radioactive exposure to workers.
>
> Twice during the year, the boiling water reactor itself was
> graded in the green - resulting in a NERC rating that reflected the
> reactor operating in a manner that preserved public health and safety.
>
> The nuclear power plant on the Mississippi River was completed in
> 1985 and remains Mississippi's only nuclear-fired steam-electric
> plant.
>