General

Chalk River spewing too much radiation?

Twice the normal levels of tritium could pose threat to Ottawa Valley

The nuclear reactor at Chalk River may be out of the isotope business for the foreseeable future, but according to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, it’s still spewing out radiation at twice the level at which AECL is obliged to “control the situation.” The Ottawa Citizen reports that, although the quantity of tritium is still below the current threshold for “maximum health limits”, those limits may not be sufficient. At a meeting with AECL officials last week, commission member Alan Graham expressed concern over “loading the atmosphere … with excessive tritium” that could end up falling onto land—or into the water supply.

The Ottawa Citizen

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