Radiological survey concludes KAPL leak didn’t affect Nisky’ fields
Results from a recent radiological survey might allow Niskayuna parents to rest easy knowing the fields their children play on weren’t contaminated by the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory leak last fall.
The New York State Department of Health did a radiological walk over survey and gathered samples on two separate days, April 27 and May 20, and reconfirmed the conclusion that the KAPL leak didn’t impact the nearby baseball fields.
Supervisor Joe Landry said on Thursday, June 16, he contacted the DOH to do the requested testing.
We are very pleased that there was no contamination, and I want to thank the KAPL people and the Department of Health for doing the testing, said Landry.
During a presentation hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy on March 17, plans to continue cleanup of the KAPL site of radioactive material were addressed. Officials presented a map of the site and explained the airborne radioactive leaks were found primarily around the facility and didn’t pose any immediate threat to residents.
Seth Hanft, a board member for Niskayuna Baseball, said at the March meeting he wanted assurance the fields east of KAPL weren’t affected. After asking if the fields were surveyed, with Steven Feinberg, project director for the DOE, believing they hadn’t been, he asked for the DOE to assure residents their children were not affected.
`We have 700 children that play baseball, and to me it seems prudent,` said Hanft previously about surveying the field. `We would be pretty happy to know that we are not playing on contaminated places, and we would think it would be a sign of good faith on your part to put our fears to rest. Again, I’m not a scientist, so if my fears are irrational, then so be it.`
Results and information from the survey were included in a letter sent to Landry from the DOH, which was received by the town on Tuesday, June 14.
`I received this letter and I have passed it on to the people of most interest, which was Niskayuna Baseball Limited, and they have a copy of this letter that went out today,` said Landry on June 16. `I have this available for anyone else that would like a copy.`
All surface readings of the survey were at background levels and didn’t pose any danger, according to the DOH letter. The nuclear chemical laboratory at the DOH’s Wadsworth site analyzed the samples, which only revealed naturally occurring radioactive material typical to soil in the state, said DOH officials.“
