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July 16, 2007 - IP2 Fuel Pool Leak Q&A Updates
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.
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