Xcel Energy, a Minnesota-based utility company, has started shutting down a nuclear power plant located near Minneapolis after failing to prevent the release of radioactive material. The company claims that the material, which is tritium, is not harmful, but nearby residents have expressed concerns. The Monticello plant will be cooled over the next few days before workers remove a pipe that is over 50 years old and has been leaking tritium. Xcel Energy will analyse the pipe in order to prevent similar leaks in the future. The company has stated that the tritium does not pose a risk to drinking water in Monticello or the nearby city of Becker. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that commonly occurs as a byproduct of nuclear plant operations. It emits a weak form of beta radiation that cannot penetrate human skin and does not travel far. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has stated that the leak does not present any safety challenges to the public, drinking water supplies, the plant or the environment.
