Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, Drainage Manhole 'Tritium' Concentration Exceeds Standard by 17 Times

Unit 1 Spent Fuel Pool 'Waterproof Membrane Damage' Identified Only 2 Years Later...
High Concentration Radioactive Materials Detected in Groundwater and Drainage
Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant "Leak Prevention Devices Installed, Membrane Damage Under

Members of anti-nuclear groups are holding a rally on the 15th in front of the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, demanding a thorough investigation into the damage of the waterproof membrane of the temporary spent nuclear fuel storage pool.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] It has been revealed that the concentration of the radioactive substance tritium in the 'groundwater' beneath the large pool (storage pool·SFB) temporarily storing spent nuclear fuel at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant (Wolseong NPP) is extremely high.

Moreover, in the case of Wolseong Unit 3, water pooled in the 'drainage manhole' of the turbine building showed levels exceeding the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's discharge management standard (40,000 Bq per liter) by more than 17 times.

Such high concentrations of radioactivity are presumed to be causally related to the fact that the waterproof membrane of the spent fuel storage pool at Wolseong Unit 1, which was permanently shut down at the end of 2019, was damaged and left unattended for several years.

According to the (June 23, 2020), obtained by the Anti-Nuclear Gyeongju Citizens' Joint Action, groundwater beneath the waterproof membrane of the Wolseong Unit 1 storage pool (SFB) contained up to 39,700 becquerels (Bq) of tritium per liter.

Relatively, Unit 2 showed up to 26,700 becquerels, Unit 3 had 8,610 becquerels, and Unit 4 had no groundwater inflow. Compared to Unit 3, groundwater beneath the damaged storage pool of Unit 1 leaked 4.6 times more radioactive material into the surrounding environment.

Suspected Radiation Leakage from Underground 'Buried Pipes' at Wolseong NPP Units 1 and 2

Wolseong Headquarters Upgraded Sample Analysis from Once a Month to Daily Since Last Year for 'Precise Monitoring'

There are suspicions that radioactive leakage is also occurring from underground 'buried pipes' that discharge contaminated water generated in the power plant buildings of Wolseong NPP Units 1 to 4 to the outside.

This is because high radiation levels have been confirmed at the point where the buried pipes pass behind Wolseong Units 1 and 2. At the groundwater monitoring well at this point, tritium was detected at up to 28,200 becquerels per liter, which is up to 27.6 times higher than radiation levels at other monitoring points where the buried pipes pass.

Recognizing this risk, the Wolseong Nuclear Power Headquarters has reportedly changed the sample analysis frequency at this point from once a month to once a day since May last year and installed two additional groundwater monitoring wells around the area for surveillance.

Separately from the underground buried pipes, extremely high levels of tritium were once detected in water pooled in the drainage manhole of the turbine building at Wolseong Unit 3. The maximum detected value reached 713,000 becquerels per liter (Bq), which is 17.8 times the discharge management standard set by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is reportedly considering this situation as caused by inflow from the groundwater drainage pipeline beneath the waterproof membrane of Unit 3's storage pool (SFB) and is preparing countermeasures.

A spokesperson from Wolseong NPP's Public Relations Office explained regarding the damaged waterproof membrane of the spent fuel storage pool at Unit 1, "After recognizing the issue in 2018, a restoration plan was established and repair work is underway. The spent fuel storage pool is made of concrete walls and internally coated with an epoxy liner reinforced with fiberglass, so radioactive substances do not leak from there."

Regarding the ultra-high tritium levels at Wolseong Unit 3, they said, "If it is in the data, it is correct, but it has never leaked into the external environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.