nuclear-news

Lower Richland residents lambast Westinghouse over nuclear leak many knew little about

Angry crowd blasts Westinghouse over nuclear leak many knew little about, The State, BY SAMMY FRETWELL

sfretwell@thestate.com   August 14, 2018 HOPKINS 

Upset about contamination from a Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant, Lower Richland residents lambasted the company Monday night for failing to tell them about a recent uranium leak and for ignoring the rural, working-class community the company has operated in for nearly 50 years……..

The leak occurred in June, but high levels of uranium in the soil were not reported to state and federal regulators until July 12. Some people said they knew nothing of the leak until reading about it in The State newspaper in late July, shortly after the leak became public on a federal website.

Uranium levels in the soil were more than 1,000 times higher than what is normally found in dirt. The leak occurred when acid from part of the plant ate through a concrete floor, allowing the hazardous pollution to occur. A plastic liner atop the concrete failed, exposing the concrete to acid. Westinghouse and state regulators now are investigating to learn more about the contamination. …….

Regardless of whether the leak pollutes wells or not, some speakers at the meeting said Westinghouse’s overall operating practices are a concern. Groundwater pollution from plant operations has existed on the site for nearly 40 years, although the company says it has never gotten off site. …….. https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article216593920.html

August 15, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general