Nuclear energy is used by many countries around the world due to the large amount of electricity it can generate. Contrary to popular belief, there are also nuclear power plants in Brazil. Both are located in the city of Angra dos Reis, in Rio de Janeiro, and were named Angra I and Angra II.
Just like any other nuclear power plant in the world, ours are dealing with radioactive material. Therefore, they must comply with all safety requirements, as well as inform the authorities in case of any problems. Why do they have to do this, you ask? Well, Chernobyl is here to explain!
However, on September 16, 2022, the Angra I plant leaked contaminated material with an approximate volume of 90 liters of water.
But what are the risks? Well, in short, contaminated water has to do with the nuclear fission process, which produces energy in these facilities. From the energy released in the form of heat, the heated water is able to move turbines that, in turn, generate electricity.
Therefore, a lot of water is used to cool the core, which consequently ends up contaminated with radioactivity. Imagine the consequences of having 90 liters of this water leaked into the environment!
Leak in Angra I
The main problem of radioactive leak in Angra I is that it was not reported to the competent authorities. Eletronuclear, the company responsible for the plant, preferred to hide the fact with the justification that the radioactivity levels were low.
It was only through an anonymous complaint that Inea (State Environmental Institute) found out about what had happened on September 30, almost two weeks after the accident.
When contacting Eletronuclear, the company denied the incident and, on the same day, issued a statement informing that there was an increase in the radiation rate in a room solely due to water accumulated in some drains.
However, on October 7th and 11th, that is, almost a month after the incident, the company contacted Ibama and CNEN (National Nuclear Energy Commission).
During the conversation, the company reported that, in fact, there had been a leak and that the contaminated water “was involuntarily released into the stormwater system (river)” and had reached the ocean.
The level of radiation present in the water was not sufficient to pose a risk to the population, according to Ibama and CNEN. However, due to the delay in reporting the incident, Eletronuclear will be fined.
According to the law, radioactive leaks must be reported immediately. Therefore, on February 28 of this year, Ibama announced that the fine for the leak of the material will be 2 million reais, and another 101 thousand reais for non-compliance with environmental licensing standards.
