HERCULANEUM

AP IMPACT: Tritium leaks found at many nuke sites BRACEVILLE, Ill. – Radioactive tritium has leaked from three-quarters of U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping, an Associated Press investigation shows.

The number and severity of the leaks has been escalating, even as federal regulators extend the licenses of more and more reactors across the nation.

Nebraska Nuclear Plants on Alert Following Missouri River Flooding Massive flooding along the Missouri River has put two nuclear plants in Nebraska on alert. On Sunday, the Cooper Nuclear Station declared a low-level emergency as the Missouri River threatened to flood the nuclear power facility. Authorities say the plant, which is about 70 miles south of Omaha, will have to close down if the river rises another three inches. Meanwhile, the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, located about 20 miles north of Omaha, has been shut down since April 9, in part due to flooding.

Federal Regulators Work Closely with Nuclear Power Industry to Weaken Standards In nuclear news, a new exposé by the Associated Press has revealed that federal regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to keep the nation’s aging reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards, or simply failing to enforce them. Just last year, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission weakened the safety margin for acceptable radiation damage to reactor vessels—for a second time. (source)

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