Tritium detected in deep drinking water aquifer at Vermont Yankee

The Brattleboro Reformer reports that radioactive tritium contamination has been detected at a depth of 200 to 220 feet below ground in an aquifer that was used up until Feb. 2010 for drinking water. The well was no longer used for drinking water once Vermont Yankee's tritium leaks to groundwater were discovered. While both Entergy Nuclear and NRC spokespeople denied this latest finding has any implications for human health or safety, Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates warns that Vermont Yankee must continue to extract tritium contaminated groundwater, lest tritium or even other radioactive isotopes such as Cesium-137 and Strontium-90 leak downward into the deep aquifers, threatening neighboring drinking water supplies.

Nuclear facility cleanup to be finished up by 2017

In a major victory for community activists worried about health risks linked to a contaminated former nuclear research facility overlooking the west San Fernando Valley, state and federal authorities on Friday proposed the settlement. The plan would remove soil contaminated with carcinogenic dioxins, heavy metals and radioactive materials. Local activists say the site has been a health risk since a partial meltdown in 1959. Los Angeles Times.

Nominate scientists for NAS nuclear cancer risks panel

The National Academy of Sciences Nuclear & Radiation Studies Board announced that they are accepting nominations for panelists to participate in a study assessing cancer risks from nuclear facilities. Nominations will be accepted through September 30, 2010, and can be submitted by email (crs@nas.edu), phone (202-334-3066), or fax (202-334-2077). Please participate in this nominating process by suggesting independent scientists. The NAS needs to know we are watching and participating. Beyond Nuclear will post updates as appropriate.

The study will be conducted in two phases. Phase one, which started on September 1, 2010, will determine how best to conduct an epidemiological study on the cancer risks from Nuclear Regulator Commission (NRC) licensed facilities in the United States and will continue for 15 months.

Radiation, Risks Are Focus of Breast Screening Studies

Two new studies appearing in Tuesday’s issue of the journal Radiology suggest more physicians should take a more measured approach when recommending diagnostic radiation exposure for women. One study found that certain nuclear-based breast imaging exams that involve injecting radioactive material into patients expose women to far higher doses of radiation than regular mammography, increasing their risk of cancer in vulnerable organs beyond the breast, like the kidneys, bladder or ovaries. The New York Times.

In Superman’s hometown, a labor dispute over health

Union workers at the nation’s only uranium conversion plant, in Metropolis, Ill., have erected 42 crosses nearby in memory of workers who died of cancer. Twenty-seven smaller crosses symbolize workers who have survived the disease. The New York Times.