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Entergy Continues Spent Fuel Pool Investigation at Indian Point
Entergy, which owns and operates the Indian Point Energy Center, is continuing its investigation into apparent leakage from the Unit 2 Spent Fuel Pool. Entergy has been sampling nine monitoring wells that have been on the Indian Point property since before Entergy's purchase of the plants, storm drains used for rain-water runoff on site, and new monitoring wells drilled as part of the investigation. The wells are being installed to help characterize the flow of water on site and establish the outer boundary of the apparent IP2 pool water in the ground.
It has not been confirmed that the water is coming from an active leak in the pool. In fact, the water on the surface of the fuel-pool wall, which is where it was first seen during excavation work inside the fuel storage building late last summer, has dried up. The work being done at that time was in preparation for removing spent fuel from the pool to dry-cask storage on site, which is scheduled for the end of this year.
To date, only tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, has been seen in the water samples from the monitoring wells and storm drains on site. No other radio nuclides attributable to plant operations or the spent fuel pools have been detected in the water samples from the monitoring wells or from the storm drains that flow into the discharge canal and eventually to the river.
Several monitoring wells in the IP2 transformer yard, which is about 150 yards from the IP2 spent fuel pool, and a well directly beneath the IP2 fuel storage building that contains the pool showed tritium levels above (10 to 30 times) the EPA drinking water standard, which is 20,000 pico curies per liter (pCi/L). Samples from all the other wells are showing either very small amounts, trace amounts, or are not detectable for tritium. (Please note: The reference to the EPA drinking water standard is for context and comparison purposes only. The water is not used for drinking and is not reaching drinking water supplies.)
Samples have also been obtained from a number of locations in the storm-drain system. Sample results range from less than minimum detectable activity (none) along the riverfront to levels similar to those seen in the monitoring wells in the transformer yard.
Generally, the higher storm-drain system readings are found in the IP2 transformer yard (3,000-13,000 pCi/L) with lower levels on the south end of the site near IP3. The results follow the same general trend as the monitoring wells.
Water from some storm drain systems drains directly into the Hudson River, but samples from these drains showed no detectable amounts of tritium. Separate storm drains take water from the transformer yard area and empty into the discharge canal which is a monitored release path.
No tritium has been found in any off-site location including drinking water supplies.
Entergy also monitors water wells outside of Indian Point property as part of its normal monitoring activities, and no levels of tritium have been detected in these wells. These results have been confirmed by the N.Y. DEC.
The existence of tritium at very low levels is typical of an operating pressurized water reactor due to the presence of tritium in both the primary and secondary (non-nuclear) sides of plant operations and can be found in the ground or in drains at safe levels. These data and potential sources will be considered as part of the hydrology study currently under development to help identify and mitigate the existence and movement of tritium into the ground below Indian Point.
The presence of tritium at the levels we've identified does not pose a health risk to workers or the general public.
The following chart summarizes the levels of tritium found in the wells and can be used for comparison:
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Description
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Tritium Concentration (microcuries per milliliter)
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Comments
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A new monitoring well south of unit 3 closer to the river and discharge canal
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0 (None detected)
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A new monitoring well directly beneath the fuel storage building
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6 E-4 (0.0006)
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The highest level of tritium found
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Water from the hair-line cracks in the IP2 Spent Fuel Pool wall
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2.0 E-2 (0.02)
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This is a potential source for the monitoring well in the transformer yard
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A monitoring well in transformer yard
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2.1 E-4 (0.00021)
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The highest radioactivity detected in all the wells outside the fuel storage building
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2 monitoring wells located to the south and adjacent to the IP2 turbine building
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Non detectable
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EPA Drinking Water Standard
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2.0 E-5 (0.00002)
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Permissible level in drinking water
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Typical levels in water from non-nuclear, secondary side of plant operations
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1.0 E-6 to 4.0 E-6
(0.000001 to 0.000004)
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Maximum level detected in 5 sample points near Unit-3 plant
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1.6 E-6
0.0000016
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Background tritium levels in U.S. drinking water
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1.0 to 4.0 E-7
(0.0000001 to 0.0000004)
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From USEPA Report 42, 1985.
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