NORRISTOWN – Preliminary results from a Department of Environmental Protection investigation show that discharge from a Montgomery County decontamination facility has resulted in accumulation of low-level radiation in the Schuylkill River, but recreational contact and fish consumption present no danger to the public.
UniTech Services Group, Inc., an international company that performs laundry and small equipment decontamination for customers in the US and Canada, has operated a facility near the Schuylkill River in Royersford since the 1980s. For most of its operating life, the facility sent its wastewater to the Royersford wastewater treatment plant, where, over time, low-levels of radioactivity became concentrated in sewage sludge.
In 2004, UniTech constructed its own state-of-the art wastewater treatment plant, and began a permitted discharge directly into the river.
“At no time did UniTech exceed its permitted discharge limits for radionuclides,” said regional director Joseph A. Feola. “However, based on our analysis of sludge that settled out at the Royersford’s wastewater treatment plant, we now know that low-level radioactive material in liquid effluents can become concentrated over time.”
Throughout the summer and fall of 2008, DEP led a field investigation to learn more about the possible cumulative effects of the facility’s treated effluent on the river and its ecosystem.
Sampling of river water, sediment and aquatic life in the vicinity of the UniTech wastewater discharge point revealed varying low levels of cobalt-60 (Co-60) and cesium-137 (Cs-137) had accumulated in the environment in proximity to the outfall.
Beginning in December 2008, DEP extended the investigation to the nearest downstream water supplier in Phoenixville. This investigation is ongoing and is being coordinated with UniTech; to date, however, no radionuclides have been detected above EPA and DEP drinking water standards.
While preliminary results indicate that recreational contact with the Schuylkill River near the facility — including fish consumption – presents no threat to the public, further study is needed to better understand how radioactive materials become concentrated in an aquatic environment.
“We’ve been working closely with UniTech to discuss sampling methods and exchange data. We’ve asked for, and received, a sampling plan that will make it possible to delineate the full extent of radiological concentrations in water, sediment, shoreline soil, aquatic vegetation and fish,” Feola noted.
Under the guidance of DEP’s Bureau of Radiation Protection, DEP and UniTech will continue an ongoing comprehensive analysis of this issue. Methods will include the use of split samples for quality control; an examination of the chemistry and control of the effluent, as well as the mobility of the contaminated sediment; and further assessment of risk presented by the low levels of radioactivity that have been detected. Additional sampling is currently underway.
In March 2008, Pennsylvania became a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Agreement State, and DEP’s Bureau of Radiation Protection assumed licensing and inspection responsibilities for Pennsylvania facilities such as UniTech. In this new capacity, DEP will make recommendations to UniTech that will mitigate the radiological influences of its discharge upon the river environment. These recommendations may also take the form of revisions to the UniTech radioactive materials operating license and waste water discharge permit.