Feb 18 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Bob Audette Brattleboro Reformer, Vt.



During a speech at the 6th annual Platts Nuclear Energy Conference in Bethesda, Md., on Wednesday, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission suggested the NRC's guidelines for documenting the release of tritiated water into groundwater and the soil may not be enough.

"While we feel that the program we now have in place is sound," said Gregory Jaczko, "I personally think that more can be done."

Following reports of leaks at nuclear power plants, the NRC created a special task force in 2006 to conduct a lessons-learned review of these incidents, said Jaczko.

The task force made more than two dozen recommendations and many of those have been incorporated in the guidance the NRC provides to plants, he said

 Jaczko had specific comments related to Vermont Yankee.

Even though "The headlines have not been pretty," he said, "the relative risk of tritium ... in the grand scheme of radiation ... is well down the scale ..."

But, said Jaczko, it has greater significance in the realm of public perception.

"People are asking legitimate questions -- what's leaking, where's it leaking, how much is leaking, and -- most importantly -- what's being done to deal with the problem?" he said. "Inspections are ongoing at Vermont Yankee. Once the source is identified, it will be fixed promptly and correctly."

While the NRC has relied on licensees to adhere to certain measures as best practice, said

Jaczko, the NRC's "guidance" might need to be replaced with regulations.

"Therefore, I intend to ask the staff to relook at the 2006 lessons-learned recommendations and determine whether any changes in this area might be advisable. I look at it this way," he said. "From time to time building codes are amended as civil engineers see areas that can be improved. This may be the time to take that step in the nuclear field."

Jaczko also announced that the NRC is considering conducting public forums to discuss with the public all aspects of tritium.

To address problems related to buried piping, the NRC is participating in a task force to evaluate the need for specific corrosion protection standards.

Jaczko also asked NRC staff to take a look at its general approach for inspecting and dealing with aging pipes.

Bob Audette can be reached at raudette@reformer.com, or at 802-254-2311, ext. 273.

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