TDEC: Investigation 'ongoing' into BWXT wastewater spill

JONESBOROUGH — The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's investigation into an accidental 900 gallon wastewater spill at BWXT's Jonesborough facility is ongoing, the department said in a Thursday statement to the Johnson City Press. The discharged water was a mixture of the chemical degreaser Bullseye and water. About 225 gallons of Bullseye was in the mixture, according to BWXT's report to TDEC about the Aug. 24 incident. The report states the mixture discharged onto the building floor and to one of the facility's outfalls due to a disconnected wastewater line that was under maintenance. After the spill, staff reportedly collected and disposed of spill material as low-level radioactive waste. Contaminated areas were surveyed and showed normal background radiation levels, according to the report. About 88.4 grams of depleted uranium was in the 900 gallons of water sampled and reported by BWXT. TDEC staff collected additional, independent samples the day of the release. A TDEC spokesperson said staff members are evaluating its own samples along with data provided by the facility. The Environmental Protection Agency's website states the most hazardous aspect of depleted uranium is its ability to damage kidneys. Depleted uranium is less radioactive than natural uranium but still chemically toxic and can pose a risk if inhaled or ingested. "We immediately stopped work and contained the water, conducted environmental sampling and notified the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation," BWXT said in a statement to the Johnson City Press Wednesday morning. "Cleanup activities have been completed, and the team is applying lessons learned from the event to help prevent recurrence." BWXT's report to TDEC is available at johnsoncitypress.com. Jorgelina Manna-Rea is a Report for America corps member reporting on issues relating to the environment for Six Rivers Media.