Canadian nuclear plant 'leaked radioactive water'

Thousands of liters of radioactive water have been released into Lake Ontario as a result of an accident at a Canadian nuclear power plant, according to authorities.

"The event was a low level regulatory event with only negligible effect to the environment and no public health implications," Ontario Power said in a statement on Wednesday.

The power company, which is owned by the Ontario provincial government, said 73,000 liters (19,280 gallons) of radioactive water was released into Lake Ontario from the Pickering Nuclear Station.

The Pickering nuclear power station, one of five in Canada, is located 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Toronto, the country's largest city with 2.6 million inhabitants.

The company blamed the leak on a faulty pump seal and said it was stopped as soon as it was discovered.

"From a regulatory perspective, this is a very low-level event. There is no impact to quality of drinking water," the power company said.

The Canadian commission on nuclear safety also said the risk to the environment and human health was "negligible."

The incident occurred against the backdrop of a nuclear crisis in Japan that has prompted debate in many countries about the safety of nuclear power plants.

(c) 2011 AFP