High Levels Of Tritium Show Up In Two New Vermont Yankee Wells

(Host) The state Health Department says relatively high levels of radioactive tritium have shown up in two new monitoring wells at Vermont Yankee.

The samples were taken from deeper wells, about 60 feet below ground. Bill Irwin is the department's radiological health chief. He says the newest readings show that the tritium is continuing to move down to bedrock.

(Irwin) "It's now at a depth of about 60 feet below the ground not as the other wells that have been at a shallower depth have indicated between 25 and 35 feet in depth."

(Host) One well showed tritium concentrations at 500-thousand pico (peek-oh) curies per liter. That's about a fifth as high as the highest levels found at the Yankee site.

A Vermont Yankee spokesman says there is no threat to public health. Larry Smith says the tritium detected in the new wells is from a leak last winter - not from any new leak at the plant. Smith said the results were to be expected.

(Smith) "It's showing us what we think is good news. Seven of those wells outside of the area of concern are showing nothing and two wells that are in the tritium plume are showing levels of tritium and that's constant with what we've seen with the hydrology."

(Host) Bill Irwin from the Health Department said the results may have been expected - but that's not necessarily good news.

(Irwin) "Clearly however we've always been concerned about any tritium in the groundwater and therefore it's undesirable."

(Host) The Health Department is especially concerned about tritium levels found near a well that at one time was used for drinking water.