Ajit Karn
Nuclear power plant leaked 4 Lakh gallons of radioactive water
In November, a nuclear power plant in Minnesota leaked at least 400,000 gallons of radioactive water, but the incident was not made public until Thursday. According to a BBC report, Minnesota regulators informed the public of the development and stated that they had been monitoring the remediation at the Monticello nuclear facility.
The water contains tritium, a typical byproduct of nuclear reactor activities. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, tritium is a naturally occurring radioactive hydrogen isotope that emits a mild form of beta radiation that does not penetrate human skin and does not travel far in the air. (NRC). According to the NRC, tritium accidents occur occasionally at nuclear power facilities, but they are typically contained locally and rarely pose a threat to public safety or health. Xcel Energy discovered the breach in a conduit between two structures on November 21.
Minneapolis, the state’s largest metropolis, is located approximately 35 miles (56 km) upstream along the Mississippi River from the plan, and the Mississippi River was not affected by the breach, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
“Xcel Energy acted swiftly to contain the leak at the plant site, which poses no threat to public health or the environment,” the Minnesota-based utility said in a statement on Thursday.
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“Although the Xcel facility is located within our city, the City of Monticello lacks the authority to regulate the nuclear plant. If state or federal oversight agencies determine that there is a prospective or actual impact on the City’s drinking water supply or infrastructure, the City will promptly notify the public with the assistance of these agencies, according to a statement from Mayor Lloyd Hilgart.
According to Xcel Energy, crews inspected the facility at all potential leak locations, and a lab will examine the leaking conduit. So far, approximately 25 percent of the released tritium has been recovered, and the company has indicated that it may construct above-ground storage containers for the toxic water.
