November 22, 2009
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7131935
THREE MILE ISLAND – November 22, 2009 (WPVI) — We are learning more this morning about a reported radiation leak at Three Mile Island.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says later today it is sending two radiation specialists to the plant near Harrisburg.
Diane Screnchi, spokeswoman at Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), tells ABC News that Exelon was doing maintenance work at TMI.
Speaking to WHTM in Harrisburg, Three Mile Island spokesperson Ralph DeSantis said work was being done in Unit 1 reactor building. Workers were cutting a large number of pipes when a radiation alarm sounded.
Unit 1 had already been shut down for weeks due to overhauling of new steam generators and other equipment.
Exelon tells ABC News that once the alarm sounded they then cleared everybody out of containment.
According to ABC News, Exelon is in the process of evaluating everybody to see if they had any kind of occupational exposure.
“This does not appear to be an occupational threat nor a threat to the public health and safety. Exelon is working to understand what happened, why it happened and what they need to do to prevent a recurrence,” Screnchi said.
The NRC now says about 20 employees were treated for exposure following the incident at one of the reactors. Originally, there were reports that more 100 workers had to be decontaminated.
The cause of the leak is under investigation. The entire plant is shut down.
Three Mile Island was, of course, the site of a nuclear incident 30 years ago.
