ML060810501
| ML060810501 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Braidwood  |
| Issue date: | 03/15/2006 |
| From: | Zelko J Will County IL, Health Department and Community Health Ctr |
| To: | Office of Public Affairs |
| Shared Package | |
| ML060960159 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2010-0209, G20060270 | |
| Download: ML060810501 (3) | |
Text
EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM:
DUE: 04/12/06 EDO CONTROL: G20060270 DOC DT: 03/15/06 FINAL REPLY:
Jame E. Zelko Will County Health Department and Community Health Center TO:
OPA FOR SIGNATURE OF :
- GRN **
CRC NO:
Strosnider, NMSS DESC:
ROUTING:
Handling and Storage of Tritiated Water -
Braidwood DATE: 03/22/06 Reyes Virgilio Kane Silber Dean Cyr/Burns Caldwell, RIII Brenner, OPA ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:
NMSS Strosnider SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
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WILL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER James E. Zelko Executive Director March 15, 2006 Administration James E. Zelko, BS Executive Director John J. Cicero, MHA Assistant Executive Director Ph 815.727.8480 Fx 815.727.8484 Community Health Center Will Rodgers Interim Chief Executive Officer Mary Coffey, MBA Chief Operating Officer Ph 815.727.8670 Fx 815.72Z8852 Environmental Health Michael Vollmer, BA, LEHP Director Ph 815.727.8490 Fx 815.740.8147 Family Health Services Mary DeGroot, RN, Bs Director Ph 815.72Z8501 Fx 815.72Z8677 Mental Health
& Addictions Joseph Troiani, PHD Director Ph 815.727.8521 Fx 815.72Z8436 Main Office 501 Ella Avenue JolietIL 60433 Ph 815.72Z8480 Fx 815.727.8484 TDD 815.72Z8690 Eastern Branch Office 44 Towncenter University Park, IL 60466 Ph 815.72Z8803 Ph 708.534.0800 Fx 708.534.3455 Northern Branch Office 323 Quadrangle Dr.
Bolingbrook, IL 60440 Ph 630.679.7000 Fx 630.679.7015 Youth Services 407 W.Jefferson St.
Joliet, IL 60435 Ph 815.72Z5065 Fx 815.727.0136 www.willcountyhealth.org Public Affairs Office Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2738 To Whom It May Concern:
The Will County Health Department is seeking information pertinent to the handling and storage of tritiated water in the wake of an ongoing series of mishaps involving Exelon's Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station. We request that you provide us with the information we need to protect the public health in the County.
Recent Exelon disclosures have documented several incidents involving millions of gallons of water contaminated with tritium, a radioactive hydrogen isotope potentially linked to excess cancer mortality.
The latest disclosure occurred March 14, when winds apparently led to the partial collapse of a berm wall surrounding storage tanks containing tritiated water.
According to an Exelon press release, the collapse allowed two hundred (200) gallons of contaminated water to escape from the lined berm. Tritium levels in the escaped water were about nine times higher than federal ground and drinking water limits, but did not exceed limits established for surface water.
Similar incidents have dramatically eroded public confidence and generated rampant skepticism concerning the government's ability to provide regulatory oversight. More importantly, the presence of tritium leads to serious questions about potential health risks for thousands of residents living near the nuclear generation station.
At the direction of the Will County Executive and the Will County Board, we are working closely with a consultant to assess the current impact of tritium leaks at the Braidwood nuclear facility. Our immediate goals focus on a drinking water sampling initiative designed to identify the presence of tritium and other radioactive contaminants that may pose significant public health risks. We will be glad to share our sampling results with you.
We need information on Exelon's tritium handling, storage and disposal plans. We also need information on Exelon's sampling methodologies and results. Most of all, we are looking for some type of systematic plan from your agency on how this issue will be managed until some permanent solution is obtained. We trust that you will assign this request a most urgent priority and help us with any information pertinent to these serious concerns.
Sincerely, E xecutive Director,..,.
Cc:
Mr. Larry Walsh, Will County Executive Mr. James Moustis, Will County Board Chairman Mr. Jerry Weller, Representative, State of Illinois Mr. Richard J. Durbin, Senator, State of Illinois Mr. Barack Obama, Senator, State of Illinois EDO -- G20060270
WILL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 501 Ella Avenue
- Joliet, Illinois 60433 BED:FOtRCD FrA^Y5*JfL
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^° 6020 sQ390 66 20043 8 8 0 9 MAILEDROMZIPCODE 60433 Public Affairs Office Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2738
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