News

Posted on Mon., Nov. 23, 2009

By Jan Hefler

Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

Investigators with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday found that a minimal amount of radiation had leaked inside a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant Saturday afternoon but did not pose any health threats to the public.

However, some state and local officials, including Gov. Rendell, said they were upset that notifications were not made in a timely way to authorities.

Diane Screnci, NRC spokesperson, said that the leak had "no effect on public health or safety" because it was confined to a reactor building at the central Pennsylvania plant, about 10 miles south of Harrisburg. She also said about 20 of the 151 workers inside the building either inhaled radiation or touched contaminated surfaces, but said the amount was not harmful.

New sirens to include battery back-up power  

LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, PA  (Nov.19, 2009)

Exelon Nuclear will begin a project next week to 

replace all 96 emergency sirens in the 10 miles around Three Mile Island Generating Station with sirens that 

include battery back up.  The first phase of the project will have contractors visit and identify certain features 

of each existing siren.   

The initial phase of this project will take approximately 60 days.  Installation of the new sirens will begin in 

November 5, 2009

Series of cover-ups undermines faith in Exelon

By JANET TAURO

The radioactive tritium leak discovered at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in April, a scant eight days after federal regulators approved Exelon's application to continue operating the nation's oldest nuclear power plant for another 20 years despite a long history of safety issues, is infamous to the concerned residents of the Jersey Shore.

Last week, the public learned that another leak in August spewed tritium at 500 times the allowable levels into the environment.

But what has not been widely publicized is that Oyster Creek officials misrepresented facts to state and federal regulators about prior radioactive leaks between July 2006 and September 2008.

Hundreds of people and organizations have filed objections.

By Patty Henetz

The Salt Lake Tribune

Oct. 27, 2009

State water officials have decided to schedule a public hearing on a proposal that would transfer water rights amounting to billions of gallons from Kane and San Juan counties to a company that wants to build a nuclear power plant at Green River.

They're going to get an earful.

Official NRC News Release: 

Oct. 30, 2009

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., with four violations concerning improper disposal and transfer of tritium exit signs at its stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

The violations, issued Oct. 28, concerned the improper transfer or disposal of 2,462 signs from Wal-Mart stores in states under NRC jurisdiction between 2000 and 2008, and the improper transfer of an additional 517 signs between various Wal-Mart facilities. The company also failed to appoint an official responsible for complying with regulatory requirements and failed to report broken or damaged signs as required.

A watchdog group opposed the license renewal, citing radioactive waste and the costs of dealing with the damaged Unit 2, but decided against a challenge.

Friday, October 23, 2009

BY MONICA VON DOBENECK mdobeneck@patriot-news.com

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved Exelon Corp.'s request for a 20-year extension to Three Mile Island Unit 1's original operating license, which would have expired in 2014.

The renewal was expected. The nuclear power plant is in the process of replacing its steam generators and making other improvements. Its new license expires in 2034.

Three Mile Island Alert, a nuclear watchdog group, questioned the license renewal because of the radioactive waste that nuclear plants produce, the costs of removing fuel from the damaged Unit 2, the amount of water the plant uses and other factors.