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IP2 Fuel Pool Leak Q&A
Q. What is the current status of the leak of tritium and Strontium 90?
A. The most recent groundwater sampling for both tritium and strontium-90 has seen significant drops in concentrations since sampling began in September 2005. The initial sampling was begun after moisture was detected along a hairline settlement crack on the outside wall of the unit 2 spent fuel pool. (Settlement cracks are common and pose no structural threat.)
Q. Has the leaking water contaminated the drinking water?
A. There have been no positive, above background, samples seen in any off site monitoring, including the river, nearby properties, or distant reservoirs. There are no nearby drinking water supplies.
Q. Q. Where is the radio-active water coming from?
A. The two radioactive isotopes were detected in the groundwater beneath the Indian Point plants, primarily in areas beneath units 1 and 2. Testing confirmed that strontium-90 was coming just from the unit 1 pool, as expected. Both unit 1 and 2 pools are the source of the tritium.
Q. How does Entergy plan to stop the leaking?
A. Entergy determined that the most effective way to stop leakage from the unit 1 pool is to remove the fuel and water. To that end, Entergy has moved up the schedule for removing all the fuel from unit 1 to 2008. Some fuel from unit 2 is scheduled to be moved to the newly built dry-cask storage pad later this year to make room in the pool for newly-spent fuel from future refueling outages. That pool, Entergy believes, is not actively leaking.
Q. Is it safe to leave the strontium 90 in the leaking spent fuel pool until 2008?
A. Yes. Entergy last year installed a purification system to remove strontium-90 from the unit 1 pool water, with great success. More than 98 percent of the strontium-90 has been removed and is safely stored before being discharged according to environmental permits. Conservatively estimated strontium-90 releases are less than one-tenth of one percent of safe, allowable annual federal limits.
Q. How do we know that everything that can be done is being done about the leak?
A. A weekly call is held by the NRC with all key stakeholders -including representatives from Sen. Clinton's office-to discuss any and all new findings and results. We continue to work very closely with the appropriate health and environmental officials on the local, state and federal level.
Q. How can a pool with cracks and a leak, containing highly-radioactive fuel rod, possibly be safe?
A. The cracks seen on the outside of the pool are hair-line cracks typical of cement structures which develop them soon after construction while the cement cures, or while the structure settles over time. It does not weaken the structure which is reinforced with thick steel bars inside the cement.
Q. How are you keeping water in the pool?
A. A one-half inch inner steel liner, which is where the extremely small leak originates, contains the water. Water is continuously replenished to make up for evaporation. The leak does not threaten our ability to maintain safe water levels in the pool.
Q. Where is the leaking water going?
A. The leak is extremely small and all known leakage from it is being contained. Entergy has hired a hydrologist to pinpoint underground water migration patterns to identify possible fuel-pool leakage in the ground and to help us to understand how best to monitor and control the material. Several sampling and monitoring wells have shown either no radioactivity or radioactivity to be low.
Q. Is the leak contaminating the Hudson River or drinking water supplies?
A. There is no evidence that the pool water is reaching the river, but an expert hydrologist is helping us determine how on-site water moves underground. Past studies show that water on the Indian Point site moves parallel to the river, eventually reaching the river to the south of the property, but not directly toward the river. The hydrologist is helping to determine if on-site construction since those studies has affected that movement.
Q. What are you doing about the leak?
A. An underwater construction company has been hired to find the leak. If we can identify the leak we will repair it. Additional wells will be placed on site to ensure we are containing and monitoring the small amount of leakage from the pool.
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