The Tennessee Valley Authority reported today that nearly 1,000 gallons of water containing the radioactive isotope tritium spilled from a water storage tank at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant on Wednesday.
In an incident report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today, TVA said plant personnel at the Alabama plant discovered that a small valve at the top of tank near the plant turbine building was leaking at a rate of about two gallons a minute early Wednesday.
Don Jernigan, senior vice president of nuclear operation for TVA, said the federal utility is reporting the tritium leak to authorities under the industry's voluntary reporting guidelines.
"The level of radioactivity was still well below any regulatory limits and there was no danger to any employees or the public," Mr. Jernigan said.
TVA esccavated the dirt around where the water spilled on Wednesday and will ship that dirt to a low-level radioactive radioactive disposal site in Utah, Mr. Jernigan said.
For more details, read tomorrow's Times Free Press.