Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PAROWAN, Utah (AP) -- Low-level radioactive water from a California nuclear power plant being shipped to Tooele County for disposal leaked at a Parowan truck stop parking lot.
There were no injuries, and officials said the low-level radiation presented no threat to the public.
However, an area 3 feet by 3 feet at the spill site was roped off pending cleanup.
Ray Golden, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, which operates the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, said the water had been used in decommissioning a nuclear reactor at the California facility.
He said the tank was carrying about 4,500 gallons of water and the amount leaked probably was around three gallons.
The Triad Transport truck was headed to the Tooele County hazardous and low-level radioactive disposal site operated by EnergySolutions, formerly Envirocare of Utah.
Last year, it received roughly 25 million cubic feet of waste, according to reports submitted to the state Division of Radiation Control.
EnergySolutions spokesman Mark Walker said the truck driver checked the load at the Port of Entry in St. George and saw nothing amiss. He said EnergySolutions would send a truck to the spill site Friday to pick up the contaminated soil.
"They are responsible for the cleanup, but we are there assisting them," he said.
Bill Sinclair, deputy director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said the material may have been spilled in a number of places, because a pressure valve failed and allowed the water to leak down the tanker's side.
The truck and driver remained at the truck stop Thursday night.
The leak was noticed by the driver about 10 p.m. Wednesday after he stopped to get a soda at the TA Truck stop, which was never closed because of the spill.
Truck driver Stan Hall said the drivers are required to check their equipment every three hours.
Cedar City Fire Department Hazmat technician Travis Douglas said checked the radiation levels around the spill. He said the background radiation was 39 counts per minute and the area just above the spill was 113 counts per minute.
Douglas said the only instruction was to keep people from walking in the spill.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
