US nuclear submarine leaked radiation over 2 years

[951-Riverside]

Source: The Associated Press

An American nuclear-powered submarine leaked radiation for more than two years, releasing the bulk of the material in its home port of Guam and at Pearl Harbor, Japanese and U.S. officials said Thursday.

On Aug. 1, the U.S. Navy notified Japan that the USS Houston had leaked water containing small amounts of radiation during three calls to the southern Japanese ports of Sasebo and Okinawa in March and April this year but caused no threat to people or the environment.

The U.S. Navy released a detailed chronology of the leaks over the past two years, showing that the cumulative radioactivity released was less than 9.3 micro curies — with 8 micro curies released in Guam alone. By comparison, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average amount of radioactivity in a smoke detector is about one micro curie, or 1 millionth of a curie.

Navy Commander Jeff Davis said the Houston is still in Hawaii being repaired and the reactor is turned off. Once the leak was discovered last month, the provided detailed data to the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory — a government facility — to determine exactly how much radiation had leaked over the two year time period, Davis said.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZwfZ41EHew-xV8kR6ebT0vFpd6wD92DJ3E80

[DS1]

1. Houston

Figures

[slackmaster]

2. So, about 10 smoke detectors worth of radioisotopes were released into the Pacific Ocean

Over a period of two years.

I'm not an expert in the field, but that doesn't sound like a whole lot to me.

[slampoet]

3. So for two years this Sub was able to be spotted by the enemy easiy through it's radiation trail.

If we were at war this would be a reason to .,....... oh nevermind.

[Texano78704]

4. They all do

But not enough to make any difference. The article points out that this is "weepage," not a spill, accidental or otherwise, of radioactive contaminates.