[ RadSafe ] Tritium found near VT Yankee (panic time!).

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

While I have difficulty getting worked up about small amounts of
tritium, that will be well below detection levels within millimeters of
entering the river, I do think burying pipes that will move radioactive
water is a sub-optimal design (I would probably use underground pipe
vaults).  And, as I've said before, I think using primary coolant to
spin the turbines is just dumb, and the improved efficiencies of a BWR
over a PWR are eaten up whenever something goes less than perfect.

On the other hand, if they can concentrate the tritium in the water (and
there are several fairly easy ways), and put it in airtight, impermeable
containers, they will have helium-3 generators to sell to the fusion
industry (and, if they can the tritium now, there will be a number of
half-lives for the He-3 to build up in before the fusion reactors are
ready). 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Steven Dapra
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 4:55 PM
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Tritium found near VT Yankee (panic time!).

Aug. 18

	The article begins:

"The Vermont Department of Health said it has found detectable traces 
of radioactive tritium from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in 
the Connecticut River."

	Has anyone ever found non-detectable traces of anything,
radioactive or not?

http://news.yahoo.com/radioactive-tritium-found-river-near-vermont-yanke
e-plant-184050307.html

Steven Dapra

_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood
the RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings
visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu