NRC position needs to be clarified

I would like to clarify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s position regarding tritium leaks at nuclear power plants in response to the article entitled “NRC: Tritium Response is to Emotion, not Risk” that ran on March 2 in the Morris Daily Herald.

While it is true that in the grand scheme of radiation, tritium is not a significant safety concern, in the area of public perception, it takes on greater significance. The NRC recognizes and acknowledges public concerns about tritium leaks and treats them very seriously.

When tritium leaks were discovered at the Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant and became the focus of public attention, the NRC acknowledged the importance of tritium issues to local communities. The Agency responded locally by answering questions and concerns at community meetings, in e-mails and phone conversations, through briefing local, state and federal officials and legislators.

NRC staff created fact sheets to provide thorough information on tritium and its health effects and brought experts on health effects, seismic and other issues from its Headquarters Office in Rockville, MD, to Braidwood to provide members of the community with the best possible information. NRC staff continues to attend regular information meetings at Braidwood geared towards keeping the public informed about tritium remediation efforts to respond to questions and concerns.

In a Feb. 17 speech, Gregory B. Jaczko, Chairman of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spoke of the NRC’s actions to address tritium leaks at all nuclear power plants: “The NRC created a special task force in 2006 to conduct a lessons-learned review of these incidents. The task force made more than two dozen recommendations—a great many of those have been incorporated in the guidance we provide to plants.” 

The NRC continues to review its approach to tritium leaks. “I intend to ask the staff to relook at the 2006 lessons learned recommendations and determine whether any changes in this area might be advisable. I look at it this way: From time to time building codes are amended as civil engineers see areas that can be improved. This may be the time to take that step in the nuclear field,” Jaczko said.