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Correction on tritium study
Editor:
The Jan. 8 letter (“No to LBNL incinerator”)from Mark McDonald contains erroneous information about the tritium mixed waste treatability study and the closure of the National Tritium Labeling Facility.
The treatability study would establish an alternative to incineration for handling mixed waste (a combination of radioactive and hazardous waste), and involve approximately 5 liters of NTLF mixed waste.
The July 1998 unplanned release of 35 Curies occurred during work on a separate process that has been eliminated. The treatability study on catalytic chemical oxidation does not threaten the health and safety of nearby residents.
The State Department of Toxic Substances Control has recognized that this short-term study is necessary and valuable.
Terry Powell
Community Relations Officer
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley
