EFMR Monitoring Group

Wolf Administration To Distribute Free Potassium Iodide August 24 for Pennsylvanians Near the State’s Five Nuclear Power Plants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 10, 2017

Wolf Administration To Distribute Free Potassium Iodide August 24 for Pennsylvanians Near the State’s Five Nuclear Power Plants

Harrisburg, PA – As part of its annual distribution to replace expired potassium iodide, or KI tablets, the Department of Health will offer free tablets on Thursday, August 24, to Pennsylvanians who live or work within 10 miles of the state’s five nuclear power plants. Those picking up tablets will receive specific instructions on site from community health nurses on how many pills they should receive.

“Potassium iodide is an important part of emergency preparedness for residents who live or work within 10 miles of a nuclear facility in the case of an radiological emergency,” Acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine said. “It can help protect the thyroid gland against harmful radioactive iodine and is safe for pregnant women, children and infants. It’s important to remember potassium iodide should only be taken when told to do so by state health officials or the governor, and is not a substitute for evacuation in the case of an emergency at our nuclear facilities.”

KI can be taken by anyone, as long as they are not allergic to it. It is safe for pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding, people on thyroid medication, children and infants. Individuals who are unsure if they should take potassium iodide should ask a health care provider.

Individuals can get KI tablets for other family members or those who are unable to get it on their own. Directions detailing when to take the tablets and how to store it are provided with the KI, and Department of Health staff will be available to assist those with questions.

School districts and employers within the 10-mile radius can make arrangements with the Department of Health to obtain their supply of tablets.

The Department of Health also has KI tablets available year-round at county and municipal health departments or state health centers for individuals who live or work near a power plant.

The state’s five nuclear facilities are closely regulated, secure and well-maintained. The facilities are: Beaver Valley Power Station; Limerick Generating Station; Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station; Susquehanna Steam Electric Station; and Three Mile Island Generating Station.

Additional information on KI tablets and nuclear power plant safety can be found on the Department of Health’s website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT: April Hutcheson, 717-783-1787 or RA-DHPressOffice@pa.gov

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

KI tablets will be distributed between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM unless otherwise noted on August 24 at the locations below. No appointments are necessary.

Beaver Valley Power Station

Beaver Valley Mall – Center at the Mall, 570 Beaver Valley Mall Blvd., Monaca

Limerick Generating Station

Kimberton Fire Hall, 2276 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville
Keystone Steam Fire Company, 240 North Walnut St., Boyertown
Montgomery County Health Department - 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Pottstown Health Center, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, 364 King St., Pottstown

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station

East Drumore Township Municipal Building, 925 Robert Fulton Highway., Quarryville
Peach Bottom Community Center, 5 Pendyrus St. Delta, PA 17314

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station

Butler Township Community Center, 411 West Butler Drive, Drums
Luzerne County Community College – Educational Conference Center, 1333 South Prospect St., Nanticoke
Salvation Army Community Corps Building, 320 W 2nd St., Berwick

Three Mile Island Generating Station

Fairview Township Fire Department, 340 Lewisberry Road, New Cumberland
Hummelstown Fire Hall, 249 E. Main St., Hummelstown
Manchester Township Municipal Building, 3200 Farmtrail Road, York
Masonic Villages – Salon 2, Freemasons Cultural Center, One Masonic Drive, Elizabethtown
Middletown Borough Building, 60 W. Emaus St., Middletown

NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Facility

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release

No: II-17-040 August 11, 2017

Contact: Roger Hannah, 404-997-4417

Joey Ledford, 404-997-4416

NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Facility

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a confirmatory order to Westinghouse Electric Company that addresses issues stemming from a 2016 event at the company’s Columbia, S.C., fuel fabrication facility.

In May 2016, plant employees discovered an accumulation of uranium-bearing material in a scrubber system, which is designed to remove unwanted material from a number of plant processes. After an analysis showed the amount of uranium exceeded safety limits, the NRC launched an inspection and later issued a confirmatory action letter, or CAL, which outlined a series of corrective actions. Some of those actions have been completed and others have been incorporated into the new confirmatory order.

The NRC conducted additional inspections last fall and identified several violations of NRC requirements. Westinghouse officials chose to participate in the NRC Alternative Dispute Resolution process, and the order is the result of a settlement under that process. The NRC ADR process is facilitated by a neutral third party with no decision-making authority who assists the NRC and the licensee in reaching an agreement when there are differences regarding an enforcement action. A mediation session between the NRC staff and Westinghouse was held May 19 and discussions between the two parties continued until early August. The order captures the details of the settlement reached during those discussions.

Under the order, Westinghouse has taken and agreed to take a number of corrective actions, including a survey of the safety culture among employees at the site, improvements and modifications to scrubbers and other systems to minimize the likelihood of a similar accumulation, and development of additional methods to provide early indications of abnormal accumulations.

In consideration of the commitments contained in the order, the NRC will not issue a civil penalty or cite the company for the violations, although Westinghouse officials acknowledged that the violations occurred. The company has also agreed to provide the NRC with a notification letter once it has completed the terms of the order and the basis for concluding that the order has been satisfied.

TMI: INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT

THREE MILE ISLAND STATION, UNIT 1 – INTEGRATED INSPECTION REPORT 05000289/2017002

ADAMS Accession No. ML17221A062

DEP Chronicles Story of Susquehanna River Stresses and Cites Successes on New Interactive Multimedia Website

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

08/8/2017

CONTACT:

Deborah Klenotic, DEP

717-783-9954

DEP Chronicles Story of Susquehanna River Stresses and Cites Successes on New Interactive Multimedia Website

Harrisburg, PA – Fans of the Susquehanna River can learn about adverse human impacts on the East Coast’s longest river and its tributaries and follow the progress of the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) efforts to tackle them on a new interactive, multimedia website called the Susquehanna River Story.

“Working with many partners, we’re developing and implementing programs that are paying off in addressing the wide range of challenges the Susquehanna faces,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “These are informed by innovative pollution assessment methods and stores of data we’ve developed that have made us a national leader in large-river monitoring.”

DEP has played an instrumental role in improving the health of the Susquehanna River Basin. For example, as a direct result of DEP acid mine drainage cleanup projects, the West Branch Susquehanna River—which was biologically dead about 15 years ago—now has aquatic life from near Clearfield to Lock Haven, including the return of healthy populations of native mussels from Sunbury to Williamsport.

The Susquehanna River Story website uses GIS maps, videos, charts, and photos to show where mining, agriculture, stormwater, and dams have impaired macroinvertebrate, fish, and plant life, as well as DEP’s progress in addressing these impairments. DEP research on smallmouth bass is also shared.

Site visitors can see which streams have been impaired by farming activities as well as samples of agricultural best management practices that have been implemented to repair impacts and which streams have been impaired by acid mine drainage and locations of successful treatment projects.

DEP has developed innovative continuous in-stream monitoring protocols to analyze water quality. Water samplers and computerized monitoring devices are left in the river for months to enable DEP to continually detect chemicals and other pollutants that would be difficult to discover with conventional testing methods.

These devices have enabled DEP to collect a great volume of data, including probably more data than any other state environmental agency on contaminants of emerging concern, such as certain hormones, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides.

Although initiatives to restore water quality and aquatic life in the Susquehanna have had positive results, the river continues to face many challenges from human activity. DEP will chronicle new developments as it works toward a fully healthy Susquehanna River.

Interactive river story websites are also planned for the Delaware, Ohio, Great Lakes, and Potomac River Basins in Pennsylvania.