311以来、原発ニッポンというイメージがこびりついてしまったのだが、紐育も大変なようだ。
昨年５月、マンハッタンから40マイル北上したところにあるIndian Point Energy Center*1という原発で火災が発生し、大量の石油がハドソン川に流出したという事故があった*2；
Associated Press “US nuclear plant explosion: transformer failure caused fire but no injuries” http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/10/us-nuclear-plant-shuts-down-after-fire
“Cuomo says New York nuclear plant fire caused oil spill in Hudson River” http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/10/cuomo-new-york-nuclear-plant-fire-oil-spill-hudson-river
それから半年以上経った２月の記事；
Sam Thielman and Alan Yuhas “New York investigates radioactive leak in groundwater near city” http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/06/new-york-city-groundwater-radioactivity-investigation-indian-point-nuclear-power
曰く、
Radioactive material has leaked into the groundwater below a nuclear power plant north of New York City, prompting a state investigation on Saturday and condemnation from governor Andrew Cuomo.Cuomo ordered an investigation into “alarming levels of radioactivity” found at three monitoring wells at the Indian Point energy center in Buchanan, New York, about 40 miles north of Manhattan.
“Our first concern is for the health and safety of the residents close to the facility and ensuring the groundwater leak does not pose a threat,” Cuomo wrote in a letter that directed health and environmental officials to investigate.
In one location radioactivity levels rose nearly 65,000%, from 12,300 picocuries per liter to over 8,000,000 picocuries per liter. The Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level for tritium in drinking water is 20,000 picocuries per liter, though Entergy, the company that owns the plant, emphasized that only groundwater, and not drinking water, were contaminated.
The governor’s office said the contamination had not moved offsite. Cuomo has encouraged Entergy to shut down Indian Point, but to keep its other plants further upstate open.
He directed health and environmental officials “to determine the extent of the release, its likely duration, cause and potential impacts to the environment and public health”.
“While elevated tritium in the ground onsite is not in accordance with our standards, there is no health or safety consequence to the public,” Entergy said in a statement released late Saturday. “Releases are more than a thousand times below federal permissible limits. The tritium did not affect any source of drinking water onsite or offsite.”*3
*1:http://www.safesecurevital.com/ See eg. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Point_Energy_Center
*3:“Entergy Statement on Comprehensive Groundwater Monitoring Program and Elevated Tritium at Indian Point” http://www.safesecurevital.com/entergy-statement-on-comprehensive-groundwater-monitoring-program-and-elevated-tritium-at-indian-point/
