December nuclear spill reported in Canada

TORONTO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Canada's 51-year-old nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, had a radioactive leak in December, documents seen by Sun Media indicate.

Reports filed with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission by Atomic Energy of Canada say the spill happened Dec. 5, and radioactive tritium was released into the air, the report said. Officials said neither workers nor area residents were exposed to significant danger, and 211 gallons of contaminated water was captured and is being stored in special drums.

The reactor was shut down briefly and has been running at double its normal rate since although officials said they don't know what caused the leak, the report said.

A news release at the time of the brief shutdown said only "unanticipated technical challenges" had occurred at the facility west of Ottawa.

Chalk River produces 70 percent of the world's medical isotopes used in cancer and cardiac detection and treatment, or about 40 million procedures per year. A similar plant in the Netherlands has been shut down for maintenance until the spring, which is why the Ontario facility is running double production, the report said.