Pickering nuclear plant reports water leak

this is demineralized water that does not go into the reactor its water used to make steam and the heat is transferred through a heat exchanger.

the next thing we will hear of is the the water from the restrooms at the plant being sent to the city sewage plant and how that is dangerous because it comes from a nuclear power plant.

reply to post by ANNED


demineralized is what they call it but if it has 6-10 Becquerel of tritium per liter with 73,000 liters leaked, and they want to change the safe levels to 20 Becquerel of tritium per liter then dosent that say that half of that water is not safe if the levels are changed?

I would imagine as of the devastating events of late in japan TPTB are now admitting that the earths geology is on the move,especially with this article,or perhaps they now know other external events are afoot.www.bbc.co.uk...

Germany has temporarily shut down seven of its nuclear reactors while it reconsiders its nuclear strategy.

Yep somethings being noticed for sure,I hope all else do.

damn man, thats scary. so that was their answer..negligble? thats is crude and lifeless statement they made. thiers still god knows what in that water besides radiation! god, mercury and lead too? oh were sorry its neglible* ive heard this time and again, from powerful companys who make minor mistakes envirnmentaly. its all the saem story. ther basically admitting to fault n guilt, but can get away with it. might as well be giving you the middle finger too while they say that negligble*
i wish somenight, some mischevous teens or people get together, and reinforce quic drying cement the water outlet pipes so all that crap backs up back into the plant building..see if they still say it was neglible*

This is not "heavy water" . This isn't drinking water because the drinking water coming from your faucet or a plastic bottle isn't sterilized . The is closed circuit condensed water from the steam process . For the brain dead fear mongers that means it has been boiled at least once and probably several times . It's purified when taken into the plant and then sterilized . If we could empty the lake and fill it with this water it could never be cleaner or more pure . Maybe some of you junior scientists should look up , 'trace" as a chemical or scientific measurement . If you're lived in outter Mongolia all of your life you'll have "more" , not just as much , but "more" trace tritium in a strand of your hair than the "trace" amount in the water because the water is filtered , purified and sterilized . Being free means that everyone is entitled to an opinion even if they have absolutely no idea of what they are talking about . Ask any Mayan or an alien . Better yet , i know it's an awefull thought , terrible actually , but how about studying a bit of math along with science in high school and when you get to college . All it requires is a bit of thinking and maybe the occasional evening of study . Take one fingernail clipping to an assay labratory for a chemical analysis , 30 bucks for a single element and they'll find "trace" gold . Trace logic is much harder to find because it seems to be in short supply .

reply to post by m.red


I live rather close to Pickering plant as well. Being sick since Tuesday (nausea, no appetite) I was wondering if it had something to do with this release. Due to your post I'm now somewhat relieved. Thanks.

Originally posted by bandito
If you're lived in outter Mongolia all of your life you'll have "more" , not just as much , but "more" trace tritium in a strand of your hair than the "trace" amount in the water because the water is filtered , purified and sterilized .

Tritium being a hydrogen isotope is part of the water. Can't filter it, can't purify or sterilize it in the traditional sense. It will always be part of that water unless separated through special de-titrating techniques (slightly different boiling point?)

Didn't the radiation go up in Japan when the steam turbine thing blew? I easily be wrong.


It's nice to know it doesn't go straight to the rods, but I thought these things are supposed to be invincible? What happens if an earthquake happens near the Pickering plant? IIRC theres actually a fault line that runs near the plant or under lake ontario, as there was an EQ a few years ago around here.
Also with the immense downplaying to keep the public in no-state-of-fear I just don't believe them... BUT hopefully I can take common senses side and see that there probably isn't any radioactive isotopes or anything I have to worry about since it's only the steam that drives the turbines... for the most part...

Canada is so beautiful I feel so bad it's no longer safe to swim in Lake Ontario. I grew up by Lake Michigan US Steel was polluting the lake to the extent that my white bathing suit would turn a tan color. I would have to bleach it to get it white again. I eventually switched over to a brown bathing suit.

EPA would levy fines against US Steel which the company would pay instead of making improvements. It's always about the bottom line it was simply cheaper to pay the fines then to invest in cleaner operations.

While it could be argued that nuclear energy is safe and clean I think many are missing the bigger picture namely nuclear waste. I now live in southern rural Colorado. A nuclear power plant is being proposed for Pueblo. The largest consumer of energy in Colorado is Denver. I say if Denver needs this type of plant it should be in their backyard not mine. As it is nuclear waste from hospitals etc. travels through my area for disposal further south. We see truck after truck parked at the truck stop near my home. How soon before there is an accident which could possibly render my area uninhabitable.

I don't like nuclear power and don't want it due to the waste. We burn 1 light bulb at night sometimes not even that. I've heard of some people having hundreds of light bulbs in their McMansions. Everyone needs to reduce their use. Until better disposal methods are developed we should all question whether nuclear power really is a clean source of energy. Just because there are regulatory agencies in place doesn't mean companies haven't found ways to avoid compliance.

Here is something even the simplest minds can grasp:

Great Lakes + Accidents = Inexcusable

I actually think that something may have happened, and they got it under control, but, they wouldn't say if they had any leaks and go out of their way to explain it away in some benign way. When wolves control the world, sheep don't get told the truth.

reply to post by west686

Originally posted by west686
I have lived in Pickering my whole life. The power plant releases de-mineralized water (heavy water) which is uncontaminated into lake Ontario on a regular basis. The media is hyping this one up due to recent events in Japan.

I somewhat agree with your media hype comment. I'm just curious to know having lived in the area do you swim in Lake Ontario or eat the fish. Seems like some of your neighbors on this thread are under the impression the lake waters are unsafe. Whether or not dangerous levels of radiation have been dumped into the lake it appears a large body of fresh water has been treated with complete disdain by an apathetic system.

It's what doesn't get reported that worries me. Having lived by US Steel I know what industry is capable of and not all of it makes the front page. To be honest you probably don't know what is being dumped into your lake. Radiation or not it's sad and disgusting what we've allowed industry to do in the name of profit, jobs and more cost effective energy. If Lake Ontario is little more than a stinking cesspool I don't think media hype should be the real concern. Maybe a report like this during the Japanese disaster will bring more attention to lake conditions. You might better appreciate the need for fresh drinking water if you lived in an arid area like I do.

Originally posted by shadowncs
reply to post by m.red

 

I live rather close to Pickering plant as well. Being sick since Tuesday (nausea, no appetite) I was wondering if it had something to do with this release. Due to your post I'm now somewhat relieved. Thanks.

nuclear related education should be mandatory in high school. People don't understand it (see post above) and worry for no reason. Look up the uses of radiation in society, you will be surprised. Also did you know your smoke detector has a small radiation source in it? Here's some info:

Smoke Detectors
Most residential smoke detectors contain a low-activity americium-241 source. Alpha particles emitted by the americium ionize the air, making the air conductive. Any smoke particles that enter the unit reduce the current and set off an alarm. Despite the fact that these devices save lives, the question "are smoke detectors safe?" is still asked by those with an inordinate fear of radiation. The answer, of course, is "yes, they are safe." Instructions for proper installation, handling, and disposal of smoke detectors are found on the package.

Watches and Clocks
Modern watches and clocks sometimes use a small quantity of hydrogen-3 (tritium) or promethium-147 as a source of light. Older (for example, pre-1970) watches and clocks used radium-226 as a source of light. If these older timepieces are opened and the dial or hands handled, some of the radium could be picked up and possibly ingested. As such, caution should be exercised when handling these items.

Ceramics
Ceramic materials (for example, tiles, pottery) often contain elevated levels of naturally occurring uranium, thorium, and/or potassium. In many cases, the activity is concentrated in the glaze. Unless there is a large quantity of the material, readings above background are unlikely. Nevertheless, some older (for example, pre-1960) tiles and pottery, especially those with an orange-red glaze (for example, Fiesta® ware) can be quite radioactive.

Glass
Glassware, especially antique glassware with a yellow or greenish color, can contain easily detectable quantities of uranium. Such uranium-containing glass is often referred to as canary or Vaseline glass. In part, collectors like uranium glass for the attractive glow that is produced when the glass is exposed to a black light. Even ordinary glass can contain high-enough levels of potassium-40 or thorium-232 to be detectable with a survey instrument. Older camera lenses (1950s-1970s) often employed coatings of thorium-232 to alter the index of refraction.

Fertilizer
Commercial fertilizers are designed to provide varying levels of potassium, phosphorous, and nitrogen. Such fertilizers can be measurably radioactive for two reasons: potassium is naturally radioactive, and the phosphorous can be derived from phosphate ore that contains elevated levels of uranium.

Food
Food contains a variety of different types and amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials. Although the relatively small quantities of food in the home contain too little radioactivity for the latter to be readily detectable, bulk shipments of food have been known to set off the alarms of radiation monitors at border crossings. One exception would be low-sodium salt substitutes that often contain enough potassium-40 to double the background count rate of a radiation detector.

Gas Lantern Mantles
While it is less common than it once was, some brands of gas lantern mantles incorporate thorium-232. In fact, it is the heating of the thorium by the burning gas that is responsible for the emission of light. Such mantles are sufficiently radioactive that they are often used as a check source for radiation detectors.

Originally posted by bandito
If we could empty the lake and fill it with this water it could never be cleaner or more pure .

Is something wrong with your brain or just your typing fingers? Just because the effects of this accident are "negligible" doesn't mean we should empty the lake and put radioactive water in it. Background radiation exists in nature, but that doesn't mean we should add to it.

reply to post by the owlbear


That 20% figure is a lie, especially if you factor in solar power. You can get a year's worth of energy from the sun in like a day or something like that.

We can't trust anyone in the for-profit industry to tell the truth about other forms of energy. It would cut into their bottom lines.

reply to post by porky1981


Is that you, Ann Coulter?

There's nothing good about radiation, no matter where it comes from.

To claim that it's safe because it's in everyday items? That's just skipping over an entire lake of logic.

Seems like a warning to me.