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SAVE THE DATE TO SAVE OUR BAY
A NIGHT WITH THE EXPERTS!
The November 25th Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel in-person meeting promises to be an extraordinary event with their invitation which brings together remarkable expertise of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's senior scientist, Dr. Ken Buesseler, a leading marine radiochemist, alongside Associate Scientist Dr. Irina Rypina, a distinguished expert in physical oceanography. Their presentation will delve into critical scientific research and data, illuminating the dangers posed by Holtec's planned surface water discharge [the DEP permit denial is under appeal by Holtec] and the ongoing illegal airborne discharge of Pilgrim's radioactive industrial wastewater through evaporation.
This is not just an ordinary meeting; it's our community opportunity to engage with real science that must shape environmentally sound decommissioning decisions, protect the healthy future of our marine environments, and ensure public safety for generations to come.
The SOBMA coalition is passionately urging everyone to rally together against the ongoing illegal evaporation practices currently being implemented by Holtec. At this rate, the radioactive wastewater will be gone before any legal surface water discharge permit appeal is resolved.
It’s crucial that we keep radionuclides safely isolated from our precious environment. By standing united, we can protect not only our communities but also our Blue Economy and the vibrant marine life that thrives in our waters. The consequences of Holtec’s illegal discharge is too dire to ignore, and we all have a responsibility to take action. Let’s hold Holtec accountable!
We invite you to join us this evening as we come together to voice our support for the protection of our communities and the beautiful Cape Cod Bay. Your presence matters, and together we can make a significant impact!
Rally 5:30/NDCAP meeting 6:30 PM
Plymouth Town Hall
26 Court Street
LINK FOR NDCAP AGENDA and virtual meeting
We are urging folks to attend this meeting in person.
Read on:
"Compared to background levels of radiation found in Cape Cod Bay, tritium levels in the untreated wastewater are one million times higher and cesium-137 is 200 million times higher."
WHOI Cafe Thorium
"The shape of the land creates a semi-enclosed space. “Whatever is put in the bay would stay there a long time,” said senior scientist and oceanographer Irina Rypina. “It wouldn’t flush out quickly.
“A tracer released into Cape Cod Bay would recirculate and stay in the waters within the bay for a long time,” Rypina continued, “and then will likely end up in the sediment on the ocean floor or on the beaches inside the bay.”
The same thing would happen to the radionuclides in the released water, said Rypina, confirming the fears of the Cape’s fishing community and coastal property owners."
Shape of Bay Means Poisons Will Linger-Provincetown Independent
"The report used very concentrated unit measurements for radioactivity found in a very small amount of water. “The result might read .003, but that’s actually quite a lot of radioactivity compared to what’s in the ocean,” Buesseler said. “The numbers for cesium-137 in the untreated water are 200 million times higher than what’s in the ocean right now.”
Tritium is often a source of concern because it can’t be cleaned out of the water, but the other radionuclides that were found have greater health effects, he said.
Cobalt ends up in seafloor sediments and can be ingested by marine life and end up in humans who eat the seafood, Buesseler said."
Five Isotopes found in Pilgrim water samples-Provincetown Independent
"There's options for storage: either moving offsite or storing onsite water, after you clean it up, which if they claim they can, show us they can do that, and then wait for the decay of things that are more difficult to remove, tritium being among them. … And within 12 years, the half-life, we know it will — half of it will be removed, lost, due to radioactive decay. So since they're storing already on site nuclear fuel rods, casks with material, for decades to come, potentially centuries to come, they certainly could store water in the same way with tritium. And after 60 years, more than 95% of that would be gone. So there are alternatives that are not being considered — maybe slightly more expensive."
Ocean science takes center stage in battle over discharge of nuclear wastewater into Cape Cod Bay-WCAI
"By evaporating the radioactive wastewater, Holtec is releasing radionuclides directly into the air we breathe. These airborne radionuclides will also fall into Cape Cod Bay and local aquifers where they will end up in fish, shellfish, and drinking water and can be ingested.
“Whatever is in the reactor water can evaporate along with the water,” said Dr. Petros Koutrakis, professor of environmental sciences at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “The idea that only water comes out is wrong.”
A warning about radioactive air pollution from Pilgrim-Commonwealth Beacon
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