Nuclear Regulatory Commission Investigates Radioactive Water Dump into Flooded Mississippi River Grand Gulf Nuclear Plant in Port Gibson

[Emily]

http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2011/may/02/radioactive-substance-found-mississippi-river-ar-1793435/

By WJTV Staff
Published: May 02, 2011


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is investigating a radioactive release into the Mississippi River from the Grand Gulf Nuclear Plant in Port Gibson.

A spokesperson from Grand Gulf tells News Channel 12 that they found standing water in an abandoned unit.....

This is a unit that was never in use, nor even had its construction completed. Tritium was detected. In the video, the company representative said levels were below reportable, but they reported anyway to be transparent.

<object width="429" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://vp.mgnetwork.net/viewer.swf?u=f6227018c71d102ea6fd001ec92a4a0d&z=JTV&embed_player=1" ></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://vp.mgnetwork.net/viewer.swf?u=f6227018c71d102ea6fd001ec92a4a0d&z=JTV&embed_player=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="429" height="295"></embed></object>

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/4117

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Investigates Radioactive Water Dump into Flooded Mississippi River

Saturday, May 7, 2011 - 02:45 Edited by Tony Rutherford from Multiple Reports PORT GIBSON, MS. (HNN) - Workers at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Plant in Mississippi accidentally released water from an abandoned unit into the river, but a sensor triggered altering them to the presence of Tritium, a cancer causing radionuclide....

The issue here might be more the fact that there is a mystery as to why tritium would be found in standing water in an unfinished, never used reactor, rather than how much radiation was released so far. (Hopefully)

With the Grand Gulf power station being considered most vulnerable to rising flood waters, having an unknown source of tritium contamination at the plant right now is an added problem.

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN0629012320110506

US nuclear units monitor rising Mississippi River
Fri May 6, 2011 10:28pm GMT


HOUSTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Nuclear power-plant operators
are monitoring forecasts for the rising waters of the
Mississippi River and preparing to shut plants later in the
month if flooding threatens access to sites or operation of
plant safety systems, a regulator said on Friday.

High water is not expected to disrupt operations at nuclear
plants located along rivers in the Midwest, but Entergy Corp
(ETR.N: Quote) officials are preparing for high water at three reactor
sites along the Mississippi River from near Vicksburg,
Mississippi, to New Orleans, a company spokesman said.

Entergy's 1,268-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear station in
Claiborne County, Mississippi, may be the most vulnerable,
officials said, based on government forecasts for the river to
reach a high of 57.5 feet (17.5 meters) on May 20, some 14 feet
above flood stage.....