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DEP Working with Nuclear
Regulatory Commission and PSEG Nuclear
to Investigate Leak at Salem I Plant
(03/11) Trenton— State Department
of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell
today said that the state is working with the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) and PSEG Nuclear to investigate a leak
of radioactive water around a spent fuel pool building on
site at the Salem I nuclear power plant. The leak was identified
when elevated levels of tritium were discovered in ground
water and reported last week by the NRC, which regulates
the nuclear power industry.
“A month ago, I asked the NRC chairman
to intervene personally to ensure that this problem would
be promptly and fully investigated. Since then, our radiation
experts have been providing advice and conducting our own
sampling to help investigate and solve this problem, recognizing
that any possible leak of radioactive material into the
environment must be prevented and stopped,” said Commissioner
Campbell. “Results of ground water tests analyzed by
us today show that tritium levels in ground water believed
to have leaked from the spent fuel pool building are at
similar levels found and reported by PSEG Nuclear to the
Department last week.”
DEP routinely takes about 1,200 environmental
samples each year at the PSEG facility to monitor air, soil,
ground and surface water and biota. Previously, there have
not been any radiation levels found above background, or
what occurs naturally in the environment, at this facility
during monitoring in the past year. Salem I began operating
in 1977.
“PSEG Nuclear advised us of the problem
as soon as it was discovered and there is no immediate threat
to public health and safety,” Campbell said. “We
continue to have concerns about contamination of our water
resources from this leak and we will work closely with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission and PSEG Nuclear to take every
appropriate step to safeguard New Jersey’s public health
and environment.”
Two on-site wells have shown elevated levels
of tritium. PSEG Nuclear tests of the on-site well with
the highest result showed 69,000 picocuries per liter of
tritium, exceeding the 20,000 picocurie per liter state
Ground Water Quality Standard. DEP tests at the same well
found 51,000 picocuries per liter of tritium. Additional
monitor wells have been sampled by DEP and PSEG Nuclear
separately and the results of these ground water tests are
being analyzed.
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