If you live in the Saint John region, you know the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is a cornerstone of the local power grid. Earlier this month, N.B. Power recovered about 200 litres of heavy water following a leak at the facility. The utility initially described the incident as a small leak.

According to CBC News, the utility shared new details this week regarding the timeline and scale of the event.

How the Leak Unfolded

The monitoring system inside the reactor building detected elevated levels of tritium on September 10. Tritium is a radioactive isotope found in the heavy water used to transfer heat from nuclear reactors.

N.B. Power shut down the Lepreau reactor on September 11. By September 14, crews confirmed a heavy water leak originating from a 3/8ths inch instrumentation line.

N.B. Power spokesperson Tracey Stephenson stated the higher readings triggered an immediate investigation. She confirmed the leak caused no impact or safety risk to the public, staff, or the environment.

Safety and Containment Measures

When the system detected elevated tritium levels, no employees were in the immediate area. The specific section of the reactor building remains inaccessible while the station operates online.

Stephenson noted most of the heavy water leaked as vapour. Station processes successfully recovered and collected the material. The heavy water remained contained within the reactor building at all times.

Workers investigating the issue followed strict radiation safety procedures, utilizing specialized monitoring equipment and personal protective gear. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission confirmed no workers received radiation doses above regulatory limits.

Concerns Over Transparency

The timeline of information release sparked criticism. N.B. Power issued a press release on September 14 announcing the shutdown to repair a small instrumentation line, but omitted any mention of a radioactive leak.

Energy researcher Susan O’Donnell expressed concern over the initial lack of information.

“Why did they not just say this was radioactive material that leaked, this is how much material was leaked, this is the volume of radioactivity in the material?” O’Donnell asked. She emphasized that N.B. Power needs to remain super transparent about any release of radioactive material to maintain public trust.

N.B. Power continues to investigate the root cause of the leak. Deputy site vice president Joel Armstrong stated the current focus remains on facilitating repairs safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What leaked at Point Lepreau?

N.B. Power recovered approximately 200 litres of heavy water containing tritium, a radioactive isotope.

Was the public or environment at risk?

No. N.B. Power and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission confirmed the leak remained contained inside the reactor building with no risk to the public or environment.

Were any workers exposed to radiation?

No workers were in the area when the leak occurred. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission confirmed no workers received radiation doses above regulatory limits.

Why did N.B. Power shut down the reactor?

The utility took the station offline on September 11 to safely investigate the elevated tritium levels and repair the leaking instrumentation line.