#Nuclear corporations often under-report radiation amounts, or take their time about reporting incidents (sometimes only after there's a whistleblower involved). After all, it's all about image and money, not public or environmental safety.
#Xcel fined $14K over unpermitted storage of #radioactive water at #Minnesota #nuclear plant
After a leak of #tritium at the #MonticelloNuclear Generating Station was revealed in March, Xcel faced repeated challenges in collecting and storing the tainted water.
By Chloe Johnson Star Tribune
December 14, 2023
"#XcelEnergy has been fined $14,000 for storing radioactive water without a permit in the aftermath of a spill last year at its Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant.
"Meanwhile, Xcel revealed Thursday that the original spill started a few weeks earlier than the company originally reported, and may have released more than twice as much radioactive water as it originally estimated.
"The plant, about a 30-minute drive northwest of the Twin Cities, sprung a leak of tritium-tainted water in late 2022. The utility and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) didn't reveal the leak to the public until the following March, drawing public criticism and a promise from state officials to be more transparent.
"Xcel originally reported that some 400,000 gallons of water had seeped from a broken pipe in a narrow space between two buildings. But on Thursday, it reported that the real amount was more likely between 750,000 and 900,000 gallons — an updated guess based on research the company has done and 'signs that the leak may have started a few weeks earlier than previously estimated.'"
#WaterIsLife #MississippiRiver #TEPCOLies #XcelLies #NoNukes #MoreOversight #RethinkNotRestart