Nuclear Still a Bad Plan

Nov 08, 2010
Author: SCP Editor

Novermber 8, 2010 - The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant was shut down this past weekend after a pipe started leaking radioactive water (containing tritium and other isotopes). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the public was not in any danger. Another Entergy-owned reactor had issues over the weekend as well, as a transformer exploded, causing an emergency shut-down. No injuries and no leakage were reported at Indian Point 2.

Other issues at Vermont Yankee this year:

·         January 2010 – tritium had turned up in a test well on Vermont Yankee’s property on the banks of the Connecticut River in Vernon. Later, the radioactive substances had found to have leaked into groundwater and soil surrounding the plant;

·         January 2010 – it was learned that Vermont Yankee employees had lied to legislators and state regulators saying the Vermont Yankee didn’t have the type of underground piping that would leak tritium;

Nevertheless, Vermont’s state Senate has voted to allow regulators to issue a new state license for the 38-year old plant to continue to operate after 2012.