Sheen in Lake Ontario identified as oil from nuclear plant

SCRIBA, N.Y. – A spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a sheen on Lake Ontario has been traced to a small oil spill from the Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant in New York.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded Sunday to a report of a sheen near the plant in Scriba, about 40 miles north of Syracuse.

Neil Sheehan of the NRC tells the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (http://on.rocne.ws/292vHor ) that plant operator Entergy Corp. found the source of the oil on the roof of a turbine building.

Sheehan says it appears that 20 to 30 gallons of oil leaked from a vent for the hydrogen seal system and entered the lake through a discharge drain.

Sheehan says plant operations weren’t affected and Entergy has taken steps to prevent any further discharges.

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This story has been corrected to show the agency is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, not the Nuclear Regulatory System.

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Information from: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, http://www.democratandchronicle.com