Regulators: Water leak at SC nuclear plant

Regulators: Water leak at SC nuclear plant

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. (AP) — Federal regulators say more than 100 gallons of water with traces of a radioactive hydrogen isotope have leaked at a nuclear power plant in South Carolina.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said today that the tritium leak isn’t an emergency, but says the leak could reach groundwater.

The NRC says the leak was found late Tuesday in a fiberglass discharge pipe.

Duke Energy, which runs the plant, has started taking steps to fix the problem. The NRC says Duke is putting in a temporary sump pump to try to isolate the leak.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says drinking water that contains tritium can increase the risk of developing cancer.