MONTICELLO, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 in April 2023.
Just over a year after pollution officials discovered radioactive material had leaked from a storage container at Monticello's nuclear plant, the company deemed responsible will now pay the price.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) released a statement Thursday, saying Xcel Energy Inc. must pay a $14,000 civil penalty for failing to secure the proper permit before exceeding the limits of its storage permit at the time.
The situation stems from a tritium leak that was first detected at the plant in November 2022. According to nuclear industry experts who spoke with KARE 11 at the time, tritium is a radioactive substance that occurs naturally in the environment, but is also a common by-product of nuclear plant operations.
An Xcel spokesperson said the installation of interim storage tanks during the company's recovery efforts temporarily exceeded the limits of its permit allowing for less water storage, but has since "taken all necessary corrective actions outlined by state regulators."
"Xcel Energy has made significant progress in recovering and storing groundwater after detecting elevated levels of tritium at our Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant late last year," the spokesperson told KARE 11. "Tritium measurements on site are more than 90% lower than peak readings, and tritium has not been detected in the Mississippi River despite increased monitoring. There continues to be no risk to health or the environment."
The above-ground storage container leak, which wasn't reported publicly until March 2023, measured approximately 400,000 gallons of radioactive material. The MPCA said the storage tanks exceeded 1 million gallons, which would have required an above-ground storage tank major facility permit.
Soon after the first leak was announced, officials said an attempt to reroute the tainted water with a temporary replacement pipe caused additional contamination that was detected in groundwater.
The material subsequently made its way to the edges of the Mississippi River before officials said it had been completely contained. At the time, Xcel said none of the radioactive substance had been detected in the river water itself, and any that could have reached the river would be well below the acceptable standards that occur naturally in the environment.
Despite the company's claims, environmental experts blamed it for a fish kill of at least 230 in the Mississippi. However, state officials emphasized it was not due to tritium levels, but instead a change in water temperature related to the plant's temporary closure to focus on response and clean up.
The MPCA said in addition to paying its fine, Xcel was required to immediately obtain the required permit before proceeding with clean-up efforts. Both the MPCA and Xcel officials said the plant has since transferred the contaminated water to a "more permanent, in-ground lined pond," and further, has discarded its temporary tanks.
While the substance was never detected in the city's drinking water, Monticello residents expressed concern about the leak and voiced their disappointment about not being made aware of it sooner.
The situation was highlighted during annual emergency training for staff at the nuclear plant, and prompted several meetings among community members and state and company officials.
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