Maloney, Schumer call for investigation into IP radioactive water leak

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Entergy says leak did not pose a threat

BUCHANAN – Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D, NY18) and Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY) called for a full investigation into the leak of radioactive water from three monitoring wells at the Indian Point nuclear power plants.
Indian Point owner Entergy said the leak did not pose any health or safety issues to water on- or off-site.
“This latest incident isn’t the first time Indian Point has been responsible for radioactive water and unless we get serious about shutting this place down, it’s far from the last,” Maloney said, claiming the facility should be closed down “because it’s too great a risk to the Hudson Valley.”
According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the water leak was the result of a non-functional water pump. Schumer said part of an NRC investigation should be to determine while the pump failed.
“The disconcerting levels of tritium in the water wells surrounding Indian Point should be a wakeup call that more must be done to prevent leaks like this in the first place,” Schumer said. “It is critical that proper safety measures are in place to prevent water contamination.
Schumer was told by NRC Chairman Stephen Burns that the leak would not affect drinking water because it takes two months of migration before the water enters the Hudson River. Even at that point, NRC said the amount of tritium would be well within federal limits.
Schumer said part of an investigation into the leak should be to determine if there are additional actions NRC could do to prevent the contaminated water from entering the Hudson River, in addition to the natural dilution.




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