* Update below: Leaky valve has been replaced *
The drip, drip, drip of bad news keeps coming for Entergy Vermont Yankee. Plant officials notified federal and state regulators yesterday that it found, and fixed, a leaky relief valve inside the reactor’s containment vessel.
The new leak comes on the heels of leak in one of Vermont Yankee’s buried pipes discovered two weeks ago.
The leak was stopped by afternoon, which means the plant didn’t have to go into an automatic shutdown within 24 hours. But, the plant is now in a “limited condition of operation” for seven days while it fully replaces the valve. That means the plant’s operators have one week to replace the valve or the plant will have to shut down per U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations.
This article appears in Jun 9-15, 2010.
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For every leak Entergy finds and fixes, a new one appears as they increase pressure on the piping systems. Pretty amazing imi(gnorant) o. While I am grateful to the workers at VY that there has not been a significant release of radioactivity, the National Academy of Science has stated that there is a risk of cancer with any radiation… no matter how small the amount… meanwhile VY has stopped calling themselves a “zero emissions reactor” . I am disheartened by the lack of regulatory capability between the state and NRC.
Maybe there’s a competition between Vt. Yankee and BP for:1. Who can be the most incompetent and get away with it2. Whose paid lobbyists and PR firms can better misinform the policy makers and public3. Who can endanger the environment more4. Who can play better Russian Roulette through deferred maintenance and cheap ducktape style repairs5. Whose mismanged company can report better profits for stockholders and bigger bonuses for incompetent top level management
Oh! More leaks at the Entergy nuclear plant! But anyone who inquires about replacing the leaking equipment is accused of “irrational hysteria”. Replace old, leaking pipes at a nuclear plant? Nah. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Just look the other way. 20 more years!
*Any leaks in any system are captured by floor drains and returned to the reactor.* Right! Except for the tritium leak. Oh and the strontium-90. No big deal. Really. Nothing to talk about. All leaks are captured! Except the ones that aren’t.
@ One_Vermonter: Talk to yourself much? Oh, I guess that’s what irrationally hysterical people do.