NRC: Yankee collapse raises questions
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By Susan Smallheer Herald Staff - Published: October 4, 2007
The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday the partial collapse of a cooling tower at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in August raises questions about the maintenance and safety of the plant.
Dale Klein, who was speaking to the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change and Nuclear Energy, made the statement under questioning by Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., who has introduced legislation that would give states the right to ask for independent safety assessments of reactors.
So far, the NRC has shown no interest in the legislation, saying that its own regulatory process was superior to the independent safety assessment that was used at the now-dismantled Maine Yankee nuclear plant.
Sanders showed Klein a poster-sized photograph of the cooling tower collapse that was snapped minutes after the Aug. 21 accident, showing water cascading out of a broken pipe onto a pile of debris.
"I would agree with you," Klein told Sanders, who had stated he had serious concerns about the aging plant. "When you see that visible collapse … it is a concern and you would question the maintenance and safety and so forth."
Sanders at one point asked Klein if he lived in southern Vermont or New Hampshire or northwestern Massachusetts, near the Vermont Yankee plant, whether he would have confidence in the ability of the NRC to oversee the reactor.
"I would hope they have confidence in the NRC," he said.
"They don't," Sanders responded.
Klein said it was important for the NRC as a regulator to talk to the public about the recent problems at Yankee, and he pointed out that the portion of the cooling tower that collapsed is not part of the two cells out of 22 that are part of backup safety systems.
Klein finished his exchange with Sanders by saying that the cooling tower problem and the emergency shutdown a week later on Aug. 30, which was blamed on an inadequately greased bearing, raised other questions.
"Are there other factors we should be looking at?" Klein said.
After the Senate subcommittee hearing, NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan refused to elaborate on Klein's statement, and what exactly it might mean for Vermont Yankee.
The Vermont State Nuclear Advisory Panel, which is chaired by Public Service Commissioner David O'Brien, is meeting Thursday in Vernon to discuss the cooling tower collapse, as well as the emergency shutdown. Anti-nuclear groups planned a press conference immediately before the 6 p.m. meeting at Vernon Elementary School, which is located across the road from the nuclear reactor.
Entergy Nuclear spokesman Larry Smith didn't return telephone messages Wednesday about Klein's statements. But immediately after the Aug. 21 collapse, the NRC asked Entergy for additional information about the incident, as well as the inspection records of the cooling towers.
After the hearing, Sanders said the issue of aging nuclear reactors asking for power increases and license extensions was a top priority for him.
"This is an issue I'm not going to give up on," Sanders said. "We've got to bend over backwards and do everything humanly possible to get an independent inspection process. We're going to stay on these guys."
Sanders said he would work with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., on nuclear plant inspection safety issues since Clinton is very concerned about the Indian Point nuclear plant, also owned by Entergy Nuclear, which is about 50 miles north of New York City.
"How could you look at that photograph and say you're not concerned?" Sanders said.
Contact Susan Smallheer at susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com.
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