NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov 

Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov

 

No. 06-072 May 26, 2006

NRC CONTINUES MONITORING, OVERSIGHT OF

GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission continues to address the instances of contaminated

groundwater at nuclear power plants in Illinois and New York and is ensuring that plant operators take

appropriate corrective actions. Although all available information continues to show public health and

safety are unaffected by these instances, the agency is addressing concerns about unintended releases of

radioactive material, even in non-hazardous amounts. 

Most U.S. commercial nuclear reactors release liquid effluents containing some radioactive

material in a controlled manner. These controlled releases are conducted in accordance with strict

regulatory limits. These limits ensure any radiation dose that could be received by a member of the

public is a small fraction of normal background radiation. In a few cases contaminated water has leaked

into groundwater at nuclear power plants migrating off the plant site. None of these cases has affected

public health and safety.

The agency’s Region III office, in Lisle, Ill., began inspections of potential tritium-related

issues at all operating nuclear power plants in Illinois, as well as the previously shut down Zion facility.

The agency’s Region I office, in King of Prussia, Pa., has also inspected groundwater contamination at

the Indian Point facility in Buchanan, N.Y. These inspections are in addition to the routine

examination of effluent and environmental monitoring programs done at all nuclear power reactors

under the Reactor Oversight Process. The NRC staff continues to analyze groundwater samples with

the affected plants to verify the effectiveness of licensees’ analytical methods. Affected states have also

been verifying the sample results. 

As is the normal practice, the agency is making public its inspection reports and any resulting

enforcement actions that may be taken. This includes recent results from NRC’s inspection of the

Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant located near Braidwood, Ill., that are available on the NRC Web site

at : http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm by entering ML061450522. The NRC’s inspection at

Braidwood determined that public health and safety has not been, nor is likely to be, adversely affected

by historical leaks of water with very low levels of tritium. However, preliminary findings indicate that

Exelon had failed to adequately evaluate the radiological hazards associated with leaks from the

circulating water blowdown line vacuum breakers and to assess the resultant environmental impact

between 1996 and 2005. Specifically, the licensee did not perform adequate, timely radiological

evaluations following the historical leaks which impacted their ability to assess the environmental
impact from the releases and to mitigate the releases; did not account for the potential impact on the

public; and did not adequately control licensed material.

In addition, the NRC has established a task force to evaluate the inadvertent, unmonitored

releases, as well as the regulatory requirements associated with the structures, systems, and

components from which the releases emanated. The task force will recommend improvements that may

be applicable to the agency, the industry or both. This task force is scheduled to complete its review in

late summer 2006. The latest available information on tritium issues can be accessed at this address:

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/grndwtr-contam-tritium.html .

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