Testing finds elevated tritium at Peach Bottom

Environmental monitoring at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station has turned up levels of a radioactive form of hydrogen six times what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is acceptable.

But Peach Bottom maintains there is no public health threat or health threat to employees at the plant.

The amount of radiation someone would receive if they drank two liters of the water found with the highest level of tritium every day for a year would be equivalent to what someone would receive during six cross-country airplane trips, according to data provided by the plant.

Spokeswoman Bernadette Lauer said Friday workers are performing further tests and attempting to locate the source of the tritium, which forms in the nuclear fission process at the heart of the plant's operations.

The tests turned up levels of tritium in water toward the middle of facility grounds that were up to 123,000 picocuries. The EPA-endorsed acceptable level is around 20,000 picocuries per liter, according to the plant.

York Daily Record