Vermont Yankee's vulnerabilities
Toolbox
Published: January 6, 2009
To address a recent letter's comments on the history of Vermont Yankee, the reactor was shut down a total of 19 times in the first 17 months of operation. That is not an auspicious beginning.
As to the comments on ability to evacuate after problems, how dangerous is spent nuclear fuel?
Recently, the NRC recommended reactors use military protection in case of attack.
Furthermore, reseachers at Sandia National Laboratory concluded, after crashing airplane wings, a potentially destructive fuel-air deflagration could also occur in spaces below some (spent nuclear fuel) pools. Many pools do not have containment protection like reactors. (Vermont Yankee's spent fuel pool is five stories above the reactor.)
The Swiss Nuclear Regulatory Authority has also stated: "From the construction engineering aspect ... one cannot rule out the possibility that fuel elements in the fuel pool or the cooling system would be damaged and this would result in a release of radioactive substances."
Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff have stated it is prudent to assume that a turbine shaft of a large aircraft engine could penetrate and drain a spent-fuel-storage-pool.
ROBERT LINCOLN
Rutland
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