 "While we don't expect to find harmful levels of tritium from the
steam release at Byron, I believe it's prudent to collect these
samples and verify what levels are present," said IEMA Director
Jonathon Monken. "We have no reason to believe that harmful levels
were released, but we have a duty to the public to ensure what, if
any, tritium from the steam release is in the environment around the
plant."
IEMA personnel are collecting water and vegetation samples. Some
of the samples will be in the same locations as routine sampling
conducted by IEMA within the past month. The samples will be taken
to the agency's laboratory in Springfield for analysis. Results
should be available within a few days.
Monken said reactor and environmental analysts at IEMA have been
closely monitoring data on conditions at the plant since the Byron
Unit 2 reactor tripped Monday morning due to a loss of off-site
power. The data is received through the agency's state-of-the-art
remote monitoring system, which continuously relays information
about conditions within the reactor and analyzes releases through
the plant's stacks and from detectors located in a two-mile radius
around the plant.
The agency's resident inspector for the Byron plant has been
providing IEMA analysts with additional information about plant
conditions and utility actions and is monitoring the utility's
recovery activities.
[Text from
Illinois
Emergency Management Agency file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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