Re: rad leak in upstate NY? -Reply

[Lonny Eckert <LLE@nrc.gov>]

<I seem to recall a moderately serious steam generator tube rupture at
<Ginna  Station in the early-mid 80's.  Don't recall any evacuations, but I
<seem to  remember that it triggered a fairly high emergency response
<level, and there  was some offsite release.

<Can anyone remember the exact details?

This event was before my time but I am generally familiar with it.  A site
area emergency was declared.  I don't believe there was a call for
evacuation (including special populations).  I'm not sure if  the State
recommended livestock to be placed on stored feed (today NYS directs
that livestock be placed on stored feed upon licensee declaration of an
SAE).  There would not have been a real need to do so because a snow
storm washed out most of the radioiodines on the owner controlled area.

This event was extensively reviewed and a good reference is
NUREG-0909, "NRC Report on the January 25, 1982 Steam Generator
Tube Rupture at RE Ginna Nuclear Power Plant."

Some release data from NUREG-0909 (p 1-18):
~90 Ci of noble gases
~5 Ci of all isotopes of I (0.4 Ci of I-131)
~25 Ci of tritium
~1.3 Ci of cobalts, molybdenums, etc.

(pp 1-21):
"The dose to the whole body of the maximally exposed individual offsite is
unlikely to have exceeded 0.5 mrem.  The highest dose to any organ of the
maximally exposed individual offsite is unlikely to have exceeded about 5
mrem."



Regards,
Lonny Eckert
lle@nrc.gov

-standard disclaimers-