The Politics of Tritium
Weller: Exelon should pay whole water bill
By Jo Ann Hustis
Morris Daily Herald, IL
March 02, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerry Weller believes Exelon Nuclear should foot the entire bill for a new water system for the village of Godley.
In a letter to Exelon Chairman John Rowe of Chicago, Weller said he did not believe the public-private partnership the utility is suggesting is the preferred means to advance the water project.
“I believe Exelon bears the sole responsibility, both logistical and financial, to ensure local residents have a clean and reliable drinking water source,” the Morris Republican wrote Tuesday to Rowe.
“I was somewhat dismayed to learn Exelon pledged only to cover costs not paid for by federal, state, and local governments, as if those funds are to be a given.”
Weller noted taxpayers should not be forced to pay for what he said was Exelon’s errors.
“I therefore hope you find a way to fund a Godley-Reed Township water project in full,” he wrote.
Weller spokesman Chris Kennedy said Wednesday Weller believes no public funding should go into the project.
“No public funding at all,” said Kennedy. “He believes it should be funded entirely by Exelon.”
Kennedy said it is clear Weller does not intend to obtain federal funding for the new system.
“He thinks Exelon should step up and do it,” Kennedy concluded.
Exelon Nuclear owns all nuclear generating stations in Illinois. The utility is dealing with tritium-laced underground water leaks at Braidwood Generating Station in 1996, 1998, and 2000, which have since spread north beyond the plant site at Braceville.
Exelon made the incident public in December of last year. Similar leaks have since been reported at Exelon’s Dresden and Byron plants as well.
Tom O’Neal, Exelon vice president of legal affairs, said in Godley Monday during a special meeting of the Will County Board’ Health Committee, that although tritium levels had moved outside the utility’s boundaries, the isotope has not been seen in water in Godley, located south of Braidwood Station.
The village of less than 1,000 residents obtains water for drinking and cooking from private shallow-point wells 12 to 15 feet deep.
O’Neal committed Exelon to assisting the village in obtaining state and federal grants to get the quality of water the village needs, and financially assisting with the project on a cost-share basis.
“We are forming a public and private partnership tonight to that end,” he said.
Weller said in the letter to Rowe the cost of Godley water project is about $12 million. But, the project would go a long way in restoring public trust and confidence, he wrote.
An option would be for Exelon to foot the bill to connect Godley and Reed Township to a nearby municipal water system, Weller suggested.
“The overall cost will be dramatically less ... and will reliably provide a stable source of clean drinking water,” he wrote.
Godley Village Board President Michael Valeriano said Monday, prior to the Health Committee meeting, that he was interested in seeing what Exelon would do to remediate the situation.
“To make things right for the village,” he said. “People want answers, and Exelon’s going to see what proper channels to go to give us those answers — see what they’re going to do to help us out.”
Others interviewed at Mon-days’ meeting included Judith Caldwell of Braidwood, who wanted more information to make an intelligent conclusion.
“I keep reading in the paper different things,” she said. “The husband of a friend of mine does work at Exelon, and he keeps reassuring me, but I’d like more input.”
Norma Thauchen, also of Braidwood, wondered whether the lakes and underground water table were being monitored for tritium.
“I live by Shadow Lake, and we know we’re sitting on a sponge — a little series of lakes — so, what’s backwashing into our lake?” she asked.
“Monitoring wells, at least, would be one alternative. The monitoring wells are all out on the plume (underground tritium spread). Where is the plume really, and where is it backwashing?”
Junior Zilm, mayor of Braceville, said there were no problems with tritium-tainted water in his community.
“I always thought a leak like this would soak into the ground, but I don’t know if it does or not,” he said. “I’m attending the meeting to learn stuff.”
Zilm also attended Tuesday’s public Community Information Night by Exelon Nuclear at the Braidwood Station Training Building.
Tim Nystrom of Braidwood went to learn more about the issue.
“To figure out what’s going on,” he said.
“I get it as much as I can on the news, and also that’s why I’m here. I believe what they’re saying so far that nobody’s been hurt by it. I’m here to get all the information I can, and go over it myself.”
Braidwood motel owner Vinod Patel wanted answers should potential guests ask him about the incidents.
“I wanted to check into how often you guys have those outages here, how long they last, and stuff like that, so I can answer questions for people to stay in the motel more,” he noted.
Coal City resident Bob Hamilton said one question brought him to the Community Night.
“And that is, how do we get to the point where we are today where we have a roomful of people explaining it away — not away, but explaining the problem? Some kind of action should be taken by someone sooner than this,” he said.
“What I’m really interested in is this — a solution to the problem to make us never have more problems. Seems like all there is in the news lately is the same problem in every power plant they own.”
Hamilton said he wanted to hear about the next step.
“I haven’t heard the solution. I’ve heard two proposed solutions, but it seems like somebody was trying to keep it close to the vest, and that’s not really a good way for Exelon to present itself,” he said.
“We’ve been neighbors for years. They’ve hired a lot of people in the community and done a lot of good things, but I think this is going to take a lot of the trust of the people from them.”
“If they have this problem, what else do they have they think is kind of OK, and they’re going to tell us later,” he added. “I’m just concerned that they get on top of the problem, and let’s just move on, and let’s assure everybody that everything’s fine.”
Larry Agner of Bolingbrook came to observe.
“I don’t know enough yet to give an opinion,” he noted. “It’s an issue, and has to be taken care of.”
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