Brad Norington; 24/11/09
Local authorities have defended their decision to delay the disclosure of a radiation leak at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania that forced the removal of 150 workers at the weekend. About 20 employees were contaminated by radiation on the site of the worst US nuclear accident near the state’s capital, Harrisburg, in 1979. The company that runs the Three Mile Island plant, Exelon, insists the 20 staff were exposed to levels of radiation not considered harmful. Exelon spokesman Ralph DeSantis said no contamination had been identified outside the reactor building where the leak occurred, and the safety of the local Londonderry community was not endangered. Questions have been raised why officials from the local Emergency Management Agency were not notified about the radiation leak for five hours after an airborne radiological contamination alarm sounded at 4pm on Saturday, Pennsylvania time.
Tags: Environment, health, Nuclear, Trade, USA