How did technetium-99 (Tc-99) get into the groundwater?
In the late 1990s, NFS was contracted to recover uranium that had been trapped in large filters. The material originated from one of the Department of Energy sites and contained Tc-99. As NFS processed the material, Tc-99 entered the plant’s effluent. Nuclear Fuel Services installed filters which kept the airborne and liquid effluents within the regulatory limits. Nuclear Fuel Services periodically cleaned the filters and collected the filter debris in a large tank. The tank subsequently leaked through a concrete pad into the groundwater. After the leak was identified, it was repaired, stopping any additional Tc-99 from entering the groundwater. Subsequently, the material was removed and building and process area was torn down.
