Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

[alert]

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7131935

THREE MILE ISLAND - November 22, 2009 (WPVI) -- We are learning more this morning about a reported radiation leak at Three Mile Island.


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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says later today it is sending two radiation specialists to the plant near Harrisburg.

Diane Screnchi, spokeswoman at Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), tells ABC News that Exelon was doing maintenance work at TMI.

Speaking to WHTM in Harrisburg, Three Mile Island spokesperson Ralph DeSantis said work was being done in Unit 1 reactor building. Workers were cutting a large number of pipes when a radiation alarm sounded.

Unit 1 had already been shut down for weeks due to overhauling of new steam generators and other equipment.

Exelon tells ABC News that once the alarm sounded they then cleared everybody out of containment.

According to ABC News, Exelon is in the process of evaluating everybody to see if they had any kind of occupational exposure.

"This does not appear to be an occupational threat nor a threat to the public health and safety. Exelon is working to understand what happened, why it happened and what they need to do to prevent a recurrence," Screnchi said.

The NRC now says about 20 employees were treated for exposure following the incident at one of the reactors. Originally, there were reports that more 100 workers had to be decontaminated.

The cause of the leak is under investigation. The entire plant is shut down.

Three Mile Island was, of course, the site of a nuclear incident 30 years ago.

(Copyright ?2009 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

 

[Twall]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

man im glad i moved from there to egypt. i remember the first leak and how they lied to us about it.

 

[Marsey]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

Twall (and anyone else), I "watch over" the Helen Caldicott http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Caldicott article at Wikipedia. It has been an uphill battle! You can click the "discussion" tab and see the discussion. I use the name Gandydancer. I encourage everyone to pick a pet Wikipedia article and try to keep it honest. Just one person at Wikipedia can make a big difference. :smartass:

 

[tropical]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

#1:
"work was being done in Unit 1 reactor building. Workers were cutting a large number of pipes when a radiation alarm sounded."
...
"Exelon is working to understand what happened, why it happened and what they need to do to prevent a recurrence," Screnchi said."
...
"The NRC now says about 20 employees were treated for exposure following the incident at one of the reactors. Originally, there were reports that more 100 workers had to be decontaminated.

The cause of the leak is under investigation. The entire plant is shut down. "
___


A wild speculation:
between the many pipes, it was cutted an not switched off, or wrong "live" pipe, so the rad. liquid leaked unexpectedly out?

 

[Sonny]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

Nope, thats not a leak They're replacing the steam generators in unit one. The concern is that once the highly skilled workers reach an allowable limit of rad exposure they're not be allowed to work for some time. they'll get payed for not working.



Steam generators delivered to TMI
06 October 2009

​

Areva has delivered two replacement steam generators for use in unit 1 of Exelon's Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant in Philadelphia. It took eight weeks to transport the massive components from the manufacturing site in France to the US power plant.

Almost there ... One of the steam generators
crosses the Susquehanna River to
Three Mile Island (Image: Areva)​

The steam generators were manufactured at Areva's Chalon/Saint Marcel facility in eastern France. After being shipped to Port Deposit, Maryland, the components were transported 120 kilometres over land to the TMI plant. The journey over land required a crew of about 100 on a daily basis and at times the convoy stretched over 3 kilometres in length.

Each steam generator weighs more than 510 tonnes, measures over 22 meres and almost 4 metres in diameter. Total weight for each transport with steam generator was about 825 tonnes and measured 16 metres long, 5 metres and over 7 metres high.

George Beam, chief operating officer of Areva NP Inc, said, "This was the most challenging large component delivery in Areva's history. Delivering these generators required complex logistics involving government and regulatory agencies in two states and numerous local communities and authorities."

The replacement steam generators are part of a $300 million investment that Exelon is making at TMI 1 to extend the 852 MWe pressurized water reactor's operating life. The unit began commercial operations in September 1974 and its operating licence is currently set to expire in 2014. In January 2008, Exelon submitted an application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a 20-year renewal.

The new steam generators will be installed later this year during a scheduled refuelling outage. In addition, new control rod drive mechanisms will be installed. The old steam generators will be stored in an on-site storage facility until TMI is decommissioned, when they will be segmented and disposed of.

"These steam generators are a symbol of a clean, safe and reliable electricity supply for decades to come for central Pennsylvania," said Joe Grimes, senior vice president of Mid-Atlantic Operations for Exelon Nuclear.

 

[tropical]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

Nope, thats not a leak They're replacing the steam generators in unit one. The concern is that once the highly skilled workers reach an allowable limit of rad exposure they're not be allowed to work for some time. they'll get payed for not working.

Is it?

Nope.

#1:
"a radiation alarm sounded"

the first post #1 was than "erroneous",
to report an alarm sound, and about:
#1:
"The NRC now says about 20 employees were treated for exposure following the incident at one of the reactors. Originally, there were reports that more 100 workers had to be decontaminated.


All the hype and a decision of shut all down:
"The entire plant is shut down."
because of workers have high leveled cumulative dosemeters?
Dificult to swallow ...

"Incident" with "decontaminations" means that there were an incidental contamination.


But apart the reporting diferences from #1 citing:
"incident"/"treatment"/"decontamination"

I don't see a colision between:

the new steam gen. "to-be-installed",
and the leakeage.

"to extend the 852 MWe pressurized water reactor's operating life"

Before switch in the new steam gen., the old ones must obviously be dismounted and stocked.

And it is an PW liquid.

Obviously the primary flow parts of the old steam gens are contaminated, and if them also must be replaced in the whole,
than the existed liquid must be disposed somewhere prior to dismounting them.

That must be done through some pipes.

And there were cutting of:
#1:
"cutting a large number of pipes when a radiation alarm sounded"

 

[Sonny]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

"The unit (1) has been shut down for refueling and maintenance since Oct. 26. The company hopes to resume activities Sunday."

based on what I've read and know so far, I see no need for concern.

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

Nope, thats not a leak They're replacing the steam generators in unit one. The concern is that once the highly skilled workers reach an allowable limit of rad exposure they're not be allowed to work for some time. they'll get payed for not working. ...........

This is sometimes SOP within the atomic energy industry. My cousin once had a temporary (1 day) welding job at Hanford, where each welder got their annual allowance of radiation in one day of work, so it took many welders doing one day's work each to do the work. He only got paid for one day.

.

 

[tropical]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

"The unit (1) has been shut down for refueling and maintenance since Oct. 26. The company hopes to resume activities Sunday."

based on what I've read and know so far, I see no need for concern.

Me neither -> I wasn't there ...

So, the first article #1 is mainly misleading, or fabricated.

There wasn't any accident, or incident, nor any leak;
the radiation alarm sounded because of workers bodies emiting more rads,
and the plant was shuted down because it was already shuted down cause scheduled steam gen change;
and no investigation is on course.

Well than, excelent ...
___
#1:
"The cause of the leak is under investigation. The entire plant is shut down."

 

[Jojo]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

They had a news report on it on my news this morning.
This is what they said.

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sending investigators to the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant after a small amount of radiation was detected there.

About 150 employees were sent home Saturday afternoon after the radiation was detected at the central Pennsylvania plant.

Officials say there is no public health risk.

Exelon Nuclear spokeswoman Beth Archer says investigators are searching for a cause of the release. She says the radiation was quickly contained.

Tests showed the contamination was confined to surfaces inside the building.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/new...at-Three-Mile-Island-mb-200911221258926214942

 

[tropical]

Re: Accidental radiation leak at Three Mile Island

Thanks Jojo,

truth always floats out ...

They had a news report on it on my news this morning.
This is what they said.

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sending investigators to the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant after a small amount of radiation was detected there.

About 150 employees were sent home Saturday afternoon after the radiation was detected at the central Pennsylvania plant.

Officials say there is no public health risk.

Exelon Nuclear spokeswoman Beth Archer says investigators are searching for a cause of the release. She says the radiation was quickly contained.

Tests showed the contamination was confined to surfaces inside the building.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/new...at-Three-Mile-Island-mb-200911221258926214942