The department measured elevated levels of plutonium, americium and strontium in the runoff that resulted from a large potable water spill and several storm events . . . Analysis of five samples showed plutonium levels about 100 times greater than levels detected during normal storm events in previous years.I'm having trouble grasping how a POTABLE water spill could have had anything to do with runoff containing "elevated levels of plutonium, americium and strontium", and raising the plutonium level of the groundwater by 100 times. Maybe they THOUGHT the water in that broken line was potable, but it wasn't potable if it had anything to do with this increased contamination.
I'm having trouble grasping how a POTABLE water spill could have had anything to do with runoff containing "elevated levels of plutonium, americium and strontium", and raising the plutonium level of the groundwater by 100 times. Maybe they THOUGHT the water in that broken line was potable, but it wasn't potable if it had anything to do with this increased contamination.It likely had nothing to do with the elevated levels, other than the fact that it added to the amount of water run-off for that particular area. Which could, I guess cause more debris to run down stream and be concentrated in one particular area after the waters recede.