Uranium liquid leak in southern France

[Splash Log]

PARIS (AP) - Liquid containing traces of uranium leaked Tuesday at a nuclear site in southern France, and some of the solution ran into two rivers, France's nuclear safety agency said.

Authorities banned the consumption of well water in three nearby towns and the watering of crops from the two rivers. Also banned were swimming, water sports and fishing.

A spokeswoman for the nuclear safety agency, Evangelia Petit, said about 7,925 gallons of solution containing uranium spilled Tuesday at a factory at the Tricastin nuclear site. It is about 25 miles from the historic city of Avignon.

The factory handles materials and liquids contaminated by uranium, the fuel for nuclear power plants.

The liquid spilled from a reservoir that overflowed. It leaked both into the ground and into two rivers, the Gaffiere and the Lauzon, the nuclear safety agency said. It said the cause of the spill was not yet known. Local authorities said the leak happened during the washing of a tank.

The nuclear safety agency said uranium concentrations in the Gaffiere river were about 1,000 times the normal levels but were dropping rapidly.

Uranium liquid leak in southern France

 

[maniclion]

This is exactly why I hate nuclear power one little mistake can be disastrous....

 

[bio-chem]

This is exactly why I hate nuclear power one little mistake can be disastrous....

im sorry i failed to read the part where this was a disaster. was there something in the article i missed?

 

[DaMayor]

uranium leaked Tuesday at a nuclear site in southern France, and some of the solution ran into two rivers

uranium concentrations in the Gaffiere river were about 1,000 times the normal levels

banned the consumption of well water

 

[bio-chem]

1000 times normal levels? what were normal levels? what is the concentration currently at? banned consumption of well water. for how long?

remember if you are talking in such small levels as parts per trillion or even parts per billion an increase of 1000X may not be that big of a deal. my point is this article really gives no relevant information to judge the extent of the damage. by next week levels maybe back to normal.

also look at the source of contamination. "liquid containing traces of uranium" what was the concentration? what isotope of uranium did it contain? were there any other trans-uranics in the liquid? was the source of uranium from pre-process of fuel or after the process of fuel?

 

[Gazhole]

I don't know why everybody is sweating this, everybody knows uranium gives people superpowers.

But seriously, hopefully the water filtering system in France will get most of it out. Depending on how diluted the unfiltered solution is if its ingested, it could range anywhere from no problem to hair loss/sterility to death. Like bio-chem said, theres nothing in the article to say just how contaminated the water actually is.

Time to get out that formula for calculating Sieverts again...what is it? Grays x Absorbed Dose?

If i had to choose, i would choose super brain powers.

 

[maniclion]

im sorry i failed to read the part where this was a disaster. was there something in the article i missed?

Oh I'm sorry dumping several thousand gallons of toxic waste into a major source of drinking water is a good thing how could I have gotten so confused?

 

[DaMayor]

Cow that can walk backwards on command, $350.00
Chainsaw with case, $275.00
Cutting the stump to the perfect height the first time.....Priceless.
15mg Uranium ingestion resulting in super powers....EPIC INVALUABILITY

 

[bio-chem]

Oh I'm sorry dumping several thousand gallons of toxic waste into a major source of drinking water is a good thing how could I have gotten so confused?

i didn't question that it was a bad thing, of course it is. but the idea it is a disaster is a little premature. my last post explains the questions never answered in that woefully lacking of facts article.

 

[Gazhole]

Cow that can walk backwards on command, $350.00
Chainsaw with case, $275.00
Cutting the stump to the perfect height the first time.....Priceless.
15mg Uranium ingestion resulting in super powers....EPIC INVALUABILITY

If i ever run for office you can be my campaign manager, DM.

 

[maniclion]

Well since I took the initiative and looked at another source that said 794 pounds of unenriched uranium was suspended in the solution and that even though it's not very radioactive it is still very toxic. And based on the ban on drinking well water as well as watering crops and doing anything that involved being in or around the rivers the risk was pretty high. It may not seem like a disaster to you now but I like to view the world in the Native American 7 Generations way. So I view the disaster over time and not just immediately. When kidney disease starts to become epidemic in that area will it be a disaster enough for you or what number of defective births will there need to be for you then to call it a disaster?

"Traditionally, indigenous people would not make any environmental changes until they had carefully considered how it would affect the ecology of their descendants seven generations down the line. This is because indigenous people have direct contact with the responsibilities given to their ancestors and, also, have direct contact with their own responsibilities to the generations yet unborn. Native Americans feel all generations are connected and believe we must think of the effects of decisions made today on the Seventh Generation regarding such matters as preservation of the environment."

 

[bio-chem]

Well since I took the initiative and looked at another source that said 794 pounds of unenriched uranium was suspended in the solution and that even though it's not very radioactive it is still very toxic. And based on the ban on drinking well water as well as watering crops and doing anything that involved being in or around the rivers the risk was pretty high. It may not seem like a disaster to you now but I like to view the world in the Native American 7 Generations way. So I view the disaster over time and not just immediately. When kidney disease starts to become epidemic in that area will it be a disaster enough for you or what number of defective births will there need to be for you then to call it a disaster?

"Traditionally, indigenous people would not make any environmental changes until they had carefully considered how it would affect the ecology of their descendants seven generations down the line. This is because indigenous people have direct contact with the responsibilities given to their ancestors and, also, have direct contact with their own responsibilities to the generations yet unborn. Native Americans feel all generations are connected and believe we must think of the effects of decisions made today on the Seventh Generation regarding such matters as preservation of the environment."

794 pounds of unenriched uranium? no im not worried. sounds like they took appropriate measures and it will not be too long before things are back to normal. this does not reach disaster levels in my opinon and this area will not experience higher cancer rates in the years to come nor will kidney failure be an issue. this is a non-issue

 

[bio-chem]

and believeing as the native americans do is all fine and good, but i for one like my microwave and my evo and my computer, and my cell phone, and my bed and........