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SINGAPORE: During a routine maintenance check this year, the USS Houston, a nuclear-powered US submarine was found to have been leaking trace amounts of radioactive water since June 2006.
The submarine had berthed at Changi Naval Base for five days in September 2006 and Singapore could also have been exposed to the leak.
But Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean explained in Parliament on Monday that the amount of radio activity leak, measured at 0.095 micro curies, was very minimal.
He said: "The US indicated that this was less than the amount of radio activity found in a common smoke detector and would not have any adverse effect on human health, marine life or the environment."
Assurance also came from the Ministry of Defence's (MINDEF's) 24-hour integrated environment monitoring system (IMES) at Changi Naval Base. This checks air quality, water and sea bed samples and can detect any abnormal levels of radiation.
Mr Teo said: "The safety limits are set by our national environmental agency centre of radiation protection and nuclear science. While the USS Houston was in Singapore in 2006, the IMES did not show any abnormal readings."
The defence minister said the US Navy has assured Singapore that their nuclear-powered vessels are designed to extremely stringent standards. These standards include being able to operate in a combat shock environment.
Mr Teo added that Singapore will also continue to look at its own integrated environment monitoring system to ensure that it remains up-to-date. - CNA/vm
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