Radioactivity found on two GE workers at Pa. nuke
Date: 06-Mar-03
Country: USA
Highly sensitive monitoring equipment at the plant detected the radioactivity on Monday as the General Electric Co. (GE.N) contractors were leaving an area inside a security fence, the company said in a statement.
The radioactive material is believed to have originated at another facility, and not at Susquehanna, the company said, and the level of radioactivity was very low.
This type of event is rare but not unheard of at the nation's nuclear power reactors. But since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, all incidents of possible public exposure to radioactive materials receives increased scrutiny.
PPL plant personnel began investigating and conducting additional radiological surveys immediately, said Joe Scopelliti, spokesman for the Susquehanna plant.
"At no time was the health and safety of the contractors, other Susquehanna workers or the general public affected because of this incident," Scopelliti said in a statement.
"The level of radioactivity on the clothing was slightly above what is seen in background radiation in the environment."
The contractors' previous job was at a nuclear power plant in Sweden, PPL said in its statement. Monday was their first day inside Susquehanna's security fence, however neither contractor had entered the part of the plant that contains radioactive materials, Scopelliti said.
Routine radiological surveys found the areas outside that part to be free of radioactivity, PPL said.
General Electric said it also was investigating.
Federal regulators and state environmental officials have been notified, the company said.
The two-unit Susquehanna plant, seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.
PPL Susquehanna LLC is a member of the PPL Corp. family of companies.
