Source - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (CC BY 2.0)

Nuclear Toxicity? US Plant Leaks 400k Gallons of Toxic Water

A US nuclear plant in Minnesota has leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water through a leak in a broken pipe. Xcel Energy admitted that its Monticello facility was struggling with a leak of water containing tritium last November.

However, the company did not explain why it waited more than three months to publicly acknowledge the incident. Xcel Energy stated that it notified state officials and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission once it knew about the leak.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency mentioned that the leaked water didn’t reach the Mississippi River or contaminate any drinking water sources. Xcel Energy has managed to recover about 25% of the leaked tritium and will continue recovery process over the course of the year. The leak occurred in a water pipe connecting two buildings at the Monticello facility. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and a by-product made while producing electricity at nuclear plants.

The US had faced one major nuclear accident during the meltdown of the Three Mile Island reactor in Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979. Xcel Energy claimed it contained the leak by diverting water to an in-plant treatment facility. The company will require large storage tanks to store recovered water until it can be treated and reused. The US has 92 nuclear plants that supply power to tens of millions of American homes.

Latest from Blog

American Public Schools Face Higher Air Pollution

Different races and ethnicities now have access to different air quality, particularly in areas near highways and industrial areas. The first national trends in exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particle pollution
Geothermal Plant

Philippines To Get New Geothermal Plants For Clean Energy

Energy Development Corporation President and Chief Operation Officer Richard Tantoco were recognized as one of this year’s ESG, Diversity, and Climate Trailblazers in Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) company Diligent’s 2022 Modern Governance

Hard & Durable Material Made From Mushrooms: MyLea

Mycotech is a startup based in Indonesia. They create sustainable products, bio-fibers and majorly specialize in MyLea, a form of sustainable leather. BioBo – bricks made from mushroom and mycelium are sustainable
Provocative Art Made From Daily Trash

Provocative Art Made From Daily Trash

Provocative Art Made From Daily Trash Pablo Llana is a contemporary artist, based out of Tijuana, Mexico. He had been publishing artworks since 2010. His work sculptures are upcycled from food-products waste

Don't Miss