"Tritium Leak at Oconee Nuclear Site Proves Elusive"

"The source of radioactive tritium in monitoring wells at Oconee Nuclear Station remains a mystery, and area residents are waiting for answers while workers are digging new test wells to narrow down the possibilities. ...

Leaking radioactive tritium is a problem at more than a quarter of the nation’s 104 nuclear facilities, said Pam Solo, founder and president of the Civil Society Institute, a Massachusetts-based non-profit and nonpartisan think tank.

Small amounts of tritium within allowable federal limits are released from every nuclear power plant as part of the normal process, said Roger Hannah, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman.

In addition, underground pipes have developed leaks at a number of plants, Hannah said. To this point, the leaks have been below regulatory limits and are deemed to be of 'low safety significance,' Hannah said."

Anna Simon reports for the Greenville News March 29, 2010.