nuclear-news

Vermont Yankee’s history of nuclear problems and radiation leaks

Latest leak at Vermont Yankee didn’t occur “overnight” | Vtdigger.org, by Anne Galloway on June 1, 2010, Vermont Yankee is leaking radioactive liquid again — two months after the first two leaks found at the plant in January were repaired.Larry Smith, spokesman for Vermont Yankee, made the announcement on Saturday.The original leaks of tritium, a radioactive isotope, were discovered at the 680-megawatt nuclear power plant in Vernon on Jan. 7.
The latest leak comes on the heels of other problems for the 38-year-old reactor on the banks of the Connecticut River.

* Last week, there was an automatic shutdown of the plant because of an electrical problem. Read the Rutland Herald story.

* Strontium-90, a “bone-seeking” radioactive isotope with a half-life of 28.8 years, was reported present in soils several weeks ago. Read the AP story.

* A fish upstream of the Connecticut River tested positive for SR-90 last week. Read the AP story.

* William Irwin, the state’s chief radiology officer, told the Rutland Herald on May 28 that the tritium leak likely started two years ago when five sinkholes began to appear in the plant compound…………The state’s consultant, Nuclear Safety Associates, reported on April 30 that Vermont Yankee does not “have an effective program or practices in place for early leak detection and monitoring of underground and non-readily accessible piping.”…..Twenty-seven out of 104 nuclear power plants in the United States have leaked tritium into the environment, according to the Associated Press.

Gundersen: Latest leak at Vermont Yankee didn’t occur “overnight” | Vtdigger.org

June 5, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA