Progress Energy detects trace amounts of radiation from Japanese plant

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 28, 2011) – Like many nuclear plants across the United States, Progress Energy has detected very low levels of Iodine 131 in the air at the Crystal River Nuclear Plant in Crystal River as a result of the nuclear incident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. This is not unexpected, given the sensitivity of our equipment in monitoring and detecting extremely low levels of radiation in the environment.
The levels of Iodine 131 being detected are extremely low. Although this low-level detection is not reportable, the company has notified the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Radiation Control of our findings.
Trace amounts of Iodine 131 have been detected at numerous East Coast plants in the past week. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are monitoring the levels being observed in the United States and report there are no health concerns for U.S. residents.
Iodine 131 is a by-product of the fission process in commercial reactors and also is used in medical treatments. If released to the environment, it forms a vapor that can be transported great distances in the air.
Continuous monitoring and sampling is part of everyday operations at our nuclear plants. Scientists at Progress Energy have been monitoring radiation levels in and around our nuclear plant since before it was built. We have extensive sampling and monitoring programs, which include radiation detectors and sample stations at numerous locations in and around our plant. Sampling and analysis of area vegetation, water, fish, air, soil and milk is performed as part of our monitoring program and the results are published in the Annual Radiological Environmental Operating Report (to the NRC).
Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit www.progress-energy.com.

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