Small Radioactive Exposure At Coal-fired Pulliam Power Plant

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>]

A Limited Number of Employees May Have Received a Small Radioactive 

Exposure At Coal-fired Pulliam Power Plant



GREEN BAY, Wis., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Officials of 

Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, a subsidiary of WPS Resources 

Corporation (NYSE: WPS), indicated today that a small number of 

employees may have been exposed to an amount of radioactivity roughly 

equivalent to that of a dental x-ray during replacement of equipment 

in its coal transfer process.



As part of that process, a device containing an extremely small 

amount of Cesium-137 emits a conical beam of radiation through coal 

being transferred on conveyor belts from the coal yard into the plant 

to fuel the generator boilers. The radiation is collected in a device 

on the other side of the conveyors. Monitoring the radiation passing 

through the coal stream tells plant operators if the transfer process 

is working properly, avoiding backups and coal spillage.



During replacement of some equipment on September 25, the device was 

removed without properly closing its "shutter" and placed nearby. The 

device was discovered at about 8:00 a.m. today and immediately 

shuttered and removed from the work area.



Because the device was left emitting radioactivity for a number of 

days, it is possible that employees working or walking through the 

area may have been exposed to a small amount of radioactivity. Based 

on company calculations, a person standing 10 feet away from the 

device for six hours each day during a regular workweek would 

accumulate about the amount of radiation in a dental x-ray.



Public Service officials are working with the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission and state health officials to ensure there is no danger to 

employees or others who may have been near the device.







------------------------------------

Sandy Perle

Vice President, Technical Operations

Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.

3300 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100  Extension 2306

Fax:(714) 668-3149



E-Mail: sperle@globaldosimetry.com

E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net



Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com/

Global Dosimetry Solution Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/



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