BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY IGNORES AIR MONITORING FOR EVAPORATIVE RELEASES OF RADIATION

Environmental group calls monitoring of evaporative releases incomplete and BNL unresponsive

Today, STAR (Standing for Truth About Radiation) announced that Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has been unresponsive to allegations of Clean Air Act violations. In July, the STAR Legal Committee conducted an independent review of Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL) air emissions and determined that the Department of Energy (DOE) facility may not be monitored adequately for releases of radioactive materials. The review was based upon the Clean Air Act, which mandates extensive monitoring for radioactive air emissions due to the potential public health impact of such releases. BNL has built large recharge basins where they pump water contaminated with radioactive tritium so that it does not leave the facility. STAR has raised concerns about evaporative releases from these recharge basins and numerous other areas at BNL. Rather than litigate the issue, the organization has attempted to cooperatively resolve the issue with BNL and EPA by submitting written notice and requesting responses to specific concerns.

"The new management at BNL has continuously promised a new era of community involvement and interaction at the facility, but when we bring real and sensitive issues to their attention they seem to ignore them," stated David Friedson, President of STAR. "STAR has attempted to resolve this issue in a cooperative manner and has made every effort to avoid litigation," stated Mr. Friedson. "In the past, BNL management has asked the community to bring problems directly to them, but we are finding that this is simply community relations window dressing," he added.

"It appears that BNL has ignored the evaporative release of radionuclides; fugitive and diffuse emissions from the filtering system, the sewage treatment plant and the recharge basin," stated Scott Cullen Counsel for STAR. "According to historical data from BNL, tritium is the radionuclide found in largest quantities in air samples at the site boundary and in precipitation," said Cullen. "Therefore, we believe that any potential source of tritium should be fully evaluated and monitored, and we have strongly recommended that BNL take affirmative steps to reduce radioactive emissions to our air," stated Cullen.