Old point of inflow active again
At an old point of inflow north of blind shaft 2 in a depth of 750 m that had been dry since the end of 2008, there has been a new inflow of brine. This blind shaft was backfilled in 2008. The point of inflow is located in a control area which is monitored on a regular basis. In the magnesium chloride solution, low contaminations of caesium-137 (14 Bq/kg) and tritium (281.5 Bq/kg) were measured.
Update 25 June 2012:
The leaking volume of solution is currently decreasing. The leak or, respectively, collecting point is monitored further.
Update 17 March 2014:
At the leak north of blind shaft 2 in a depth of 750 m, the current volume is about 3.0 litres per day. The long-term average of 4.1 litres per day has not been exceeded since the end of 2013. However, in the middle of 2013, there was a short-term increase of over 34 litres per day.
The influent solution in this area continues to show a low contamination of caesium-137 (ca. 630 Bq/kg). Handling is permitted with a radioactivity concentration of up to 1 million Bq/kg, the 100-fold of the exemption limit set out in the Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV, Annex III, Table 1, Column 3). For tritium, an activity concentration of ca. 1,600 Bq/kg was measured. Here, the authorised limit for the handling inside the Asse II mine is 100 billion Bq/kg.