• Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that is produced naturally in the upper atmosphere. It also is produced commercially for various uses and is a byproduct of nuclear power generation. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission limit for the maximum release of tritium in water is well within safety ranges. No public health or safety risk has resulted from tritium releases at commercial nuclear power plants.
• The nuclear energy industry is committed to operating its plants safely and to protecting the environment. A combination of plant design, control systems and radiation monitoring helps prevent unplanned radioactive releases and helps control and contain them in the event that they should occur.
• Companies that operate nuclear power plants monitor radiation levels at the plant sites and their surrounding areas for possible releases. Companies annually report allowable plant discharges and the results of environmental monitoring to the NRC. In addition, the NRC conducts periodic on-site inspections of each company’s environmental monitoring programs to ensure compliance with the agency’s requirements.
• The industry detected elevated tritium levels in 2005 at some nuclear power plants, but no release has posed a health or safety hazard to residents of the surrounding areas or plant employees, according to state and federal officials. However, such releases are inconsistent with the standards of operating excellence the industry has set for itself. Companies whose plants detected elevated levels of tritium have stopped the leaks and, where necessary, are cleaning up contamination.
• The industry launched an initiative in 2006 to improve the management of situations involving radiological releases to groundwater. Every company that operates a U.S. nuclear power plant has committed to inform local, state and federal authorities of an unplanned release even if it is below the threshold for reporting to the NRC.

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