ML061860261

E-mail from R. Sachatello Entergy to J. White and J. Noggle of USNRC and T. Rice of Department of Environmental Conservation, Regarding the Use of Baseline Background Well Information at Indian Point Station

ML061860261
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	03/30/2006
From:	Sachatello R Entergy Corp
To:	Noggle J, Rice T, Jason White NRC Region 1, State of NY, Dept of Environmental Conservation
References
FOIA/PA-2006-0195
Download: ML061860261 (1)

Text

James No0ggle- THE USE OF BASELINE BACKGROUND WELL INFORMATION AT INDINA POINT STATION ,Page 1 From: "Sachtlo, Ronald" <rsac *0 @entergy.com>

To: "'jrwl @nrc.gov"' <jrwl @nrc.gov>, "'jdn @nrc.gov" <jdn @nrc.gov>,

"'tbrice @gw.dec.state.ny.us"' <tbrice @gw.dec.state.ny.us>

Date: 3/30/06 6:43PM

Subject:

THE USE OF BASELINE BACKGROUND WELL INFORMATION AT INDINA POINT STATION Mr. White:

Mr. Rice:

Mr. Noggle:

This is an update to you after the stakeholder call on Thursday March 30, 2006 on the Indian Point Tritium investigation. We will follow this e-mail with a phone call tomorrow, but am writing now, in the event you are away from the office tomorrow, or I forget to promptly communicate this information.

Don Mayer wanted me tell you we are evaluating using wells that are a large distance from the plant facilities and those without tritium impacts such as MW-51, 40 and other wells as "Baseline Background Wells" to establish an onsite background level for natural occurring isotopes relative to TRU and other isotopes in the analysis program. This will help us normalize data and to minimize "false positives."

We will be formally notifying the NRC and State to the opportunity to obtain split samples at these locations shortly, before large scale TRU analysis results are reported by IPEC at the wells with elevated tritium activity. This will allow IPEC to report data that has a standard reference point as to TRU and other isotopic background expectations.

We believe the advantages of using Baseline Background Wells may help us find and understand natural occurring TRU and other isotopes at these "clean wells" that are reflective of typical rock formation found on site. We like Limerick, and other sites on the Reading Uranium Prong, see many plant persons having radon activity from towns surrounding the facility reflective of natural activity in rock. Our drilling process has bored 200 plus feet at many well locations, through solid rock. We believe that there is a possibility that this mechanical grinding action along these large rock faces, has micro-pulverized these rock formations and may set a condition that influences, and increases, the amount of TRU available and detectable in water samples, as opposed to looking for these elements in non disturbed media.

In any case IPEC plans to investigate a natural normalized baseline level to be used to evaluate our analysis program results.

As stated above we will try to shortly follow this e-mail with a phone call as to your desire or opportunity to participate in this split process for background wells.

Ron Sachatello 860-857-4980 rsach90@ entergy.com.

CC: "Mayer, Don" <DMayerl @entergy.com>, "Axelson, William L"

<WAxelso@entergy.com>, "Sachatello, Ronald" <rsach90@entergy.com>