ML061840604
| ML061840604 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Braidwood  |
| Issue date: | 01/27/2006 |
| From: | Steven Orth NRC/RGN-III |
| To: | Brian Mcdermott NRC Region 1 |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2006-0115 | |
| Download: ML061840604 (2) | |
Text
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From:
Steven Orth To:
Brian McDermott Date:
Fri, Jan 27, 2006 12:37 PM
Subject:
Re: Update on Braidwood Tritium Contamination Will do. Good to hear from you.
>>> Brian McDermott 01/27106 12:33 PM >>>
Steve - PLS add me to yoyr regular distribution for updates on Braidwood tritium, I have Indian Point in my Branch. Thanks, Brian
>>> A. Randolph Blough 01/27/2006 >>>
Steve, good update. thanks brian, if you want to added to the braidwood update email group, pls let steve know directly.
randy
>>> Steven Orth 01/27/06 10:14 AM >>>
General Information The licensee has suspended radioactive liquid discharges since the groundwater contamination was Identified on November 30, 2005. Currently, liquid radwaste Is being stored onsite In temporary storage tanks. Radioactive liquid discharges will not resume until the blowdown line Integrity is verified. Current sample results have Identified levels of tritium as high as 285,000 picocuries per liter In deep wells (25')
onsite and offsite. Off site levels In shallow wells have been Identified as high as about 59,000 picocuries per liter (non-drinking water well) and at about 1400 - 1600 picocuries per liter In one residential drinking water well. NRC split-sample analyses are ongoing, as are NRC Inspection activities to assess the licensee's recovery efforts and plume characterization. Sample results (including Independent NRC samples of residential wells) have detected levels of tritium consistent with the licensee's results.. As part of that Inspection, mdmbers of the Region Ill staff observed the licensee's non-destructive evaluation of sections of the blowdown line. Although the results of that testing are under evaluation, another offsite vacuum breaker failure occurred on January 15, 2006, releasing non-radioactive water onto the ground.
Updated Information On December 16, 2005, the State of Illinois Environmental'Protection Agency Issued the 1.censee a Violation Notice for contaminating the groundwater.. On December 20, 2005 and January 23, 2005, members of the Region Ill staff participated In meetings between and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the licensee in.Springfield, Illinois;,.hih'thte licensee discussed the apparent.origin of the on raiý ~and Initial characeza n
cohtaminaht6ti, ts-h7onitoring progroam and.in.t.al crcteiat
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'On Wednesday, January 25, 2006, Chicago media ran front-page reports of the.eVerts at the statioarnd the licensee conducted a media briefing that was also reported. OnThursday, Januar conducted asecond meeting with residents living near the Braidwood facility. This d6eing was a con;hatRon9of ee's communication plan with local stakeholders (approximately 25-30 local in accordance W~ith the freedom of information Act, exemptions __r FOJA6 -0O~~.
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a or residents and 2 local news reporters), which was also attended by State regulatory agencies. The topics were the current status of characterizing the tritium contamination, financial remedies, and remediation plans/progress. The residents expressed concerns related to potential health effects, to property values, and to the delay in identifying and communicating the 1998 and 2000 leaks. Region Ill attended the meeting, and limited questions of the NRC were raised.
Region III plans to complete radiation safety inspection activities in February 2006 and determine any enforcement actions, as appropriate.