Electric utilities in South Carolina and North Carolina have detected trace amounts of radiation from accidents at Japan's nuclear reactor following a March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
Progress Energy and Duke Energy in North Carolina and South Carolina Electric and Gas Company all operate nuclear plants. On Monday, the companies confirmed detecting trace amounts of radiation.
According to The State Newspaper, Progress Energy spokesman Drew Elliot said sensitive equipment to detect radiation found radioactive iodine-131 at its HB Robinson plant.
Elliot says the levels are low, and do not pose a health threat to South Carolina residents.
Iodine-131 is a different form of radiation than what's commonly found in U.S. cities, and it is typically released into the air by nuclear reactors.
Progress Energy of Raleigh, NC said it picked up very low levels of iodine-131, a radioactive byproduct of nuclear fission, at its Robinson nuclear plant in South Carolina and a Florida plant. The company expects to detect similar levels near Wilmington, NC later this week.
