Radioactive tritium leaks found at 48 US nuke sites

[GreatBronco16]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43475479...ws-environment



That does it, we should all migrate to Mexico and go to work for Baja.

[alkemical]

eeesh.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by alkemical

eeesh.

Quiiiche

[enjolras]

Well this is a terrible article.

Yes high levels of tritium in the water supply would pose a health risk. However, Tritium is a beta emitter. You (particularly anyone in Colorado or anywhere in the Rocky Mountains) are currently being bombarded by a whole bunch of beta radiation. Unless you are coming into close contact with massive amounts of it, it won't even penetrate your skin.

Not much to see here (at least from what the article contains).

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by enjolras

Well this is a terrible article.

Yes high levels of tritium in the water supply would pose a health risk. However, Tritium is a beta emitter. You (particularly anyone in Colorado or anywhere in the Rocky Mountains) are currently being bombarded by a whole bunch of beta radiation. Unless you are coming into close contact with massive amounts of it, it won't even penetrate your skin.

Not much to see here (at least from what the article contains).

For me, it was about how they keep wanting to bury this **** in Yucca Mtn. If they aren't keeping up with inspections, regulations to make sure this stuff doesn't get out... I don't like to gamble with shoddy workmanship.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by alkemical

For me, it was about how they keep wanting to bury this **** in Yucca Mtn. If they aren't keeping up with inspections, regulations to make sure this stuff doesn't get out... I don't like to gamble with shoddy workmanship.

That the place that's supposed to last 100000 years?

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by Chris

That the place that's supposed to last 100000 years?

Something like that.

[Kaylore]

Obama just fired a bunch of people from there. He knew he couldn't officially close it, so he cut funding so it is losing staffing. One of my in-laws just left there and they have move now.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by enjolras

Well this is a terrible article.

Yes high levels of tritium in the water supply would pose a health risk. However, Tritium is a beta emitter. You (particularly anyone in Colorado or anywhere in the Rocky Mountains) are currently being bombarded by a whole bunch of beta radiation. Unless you are coming into close contact with massive amounts of it, it won't even penetrate your skin.

Not much to see here (at least from what the article contains).

Pretty much.

A nuclear physicist once told me that you could literally drink ~50 gallons of reactor discharge water a day and your chances of getting cancer would go up 1% over the course of your lifetime. Having actually sampled reactor discharge water I'd have to agree, the levels of tritium needed to be a risk are so damn high that this isn't remotely an issue.

Hell, low level tritium analysis is used to tell how old water is as any water in circulation since 1950 (when we set nukes off in the atmosphere during tests) has tritium in it.

People make a big deal out of a lot of stupid ****.

[Orange&BlueMohawk]

Oh no, I had tritium in the hands of my watch. Am I going to die?

That entire article boils down to this:

"The public health and safety impact of this is next to zero," said Tony Pietrangelo, chief nuclear officer of the industry's Nuclear Energy Institute. "This is a public confidence issue."

All that talk about how bad it "could" be. And its all about the PR. Why even bring it up and get it all blown out of proportion?

If you don't want bad PR, maybe you shouldn't be talking about it. HAHAHA

[kappys]

Wasn't a terrible article - it highlights the fact that tritium really isn't an issue but the concern is that the leaks could suggest lax safety standards and leaks of other radioactive elements such as strontium which poses a much more significant risks.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by kappys

Wasn't a terrible article - it highlights the fact that tritium really isn't an issue but the concern is that the leaks could suggest lax safety standards and leaks of other radioactive elements such as strontium which poses a much more significant risks.

Bingo.

[baja]

Originally Posted by kappys

Wasn't a terrible article - it highlights the fact that tritium really isn't an issue but the concern is that the leaks could suggest lax safety standards and leaks of other radioactive elements such as strontium which poses a much more significant risks.

" Never question your caretakers "

-signed the circle jerk that is now the Orange Mane

[jhns]

Originally Posted by kappys

Wasn't a terrible article - it highlights the fact that tritium really isn't an issue but the concern is that the leaks could suggest lax safety standards and leaks of other radioactive elements such as strontium which poses a much more significant risks.

They just went through all of these sites. It other elements were leaking, we would know.

[jhns]

Originally Posted by baja

" Never question your caretakers "

-signed the circle jerk that is now the Orange Mane

Your caretakers? You must be confused about where you are.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by kappys

Wasn't a terrible article - it highlights the fact that tritium really isn't an issue but the concern is that the leaks could suggest lax safety standards and leaks of other radioactive elements such as strontium which poses a much more significant risks.

Except all output is analyzed thoroughly before it is released, so if some strontium did show up they would then deal with it appropriately.

The levels of tritium detected are allowed and not in the least bit harmful. Why would they pour millions into treating water that passes every real environmental standard they're asked to meet, standards which themselves are overly cautious?