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It's a good thing these events are so unusual...

by: JulieWaters

Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 06:33:47 AM EDT

...'cause otherwise I'd be concerned. Thanks to Larry Smith, Director of Communications for Vermont Yankee, for making us all feel better:

Operators at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant declared an Unusual Event at 7:05 p.m., Sunday.
The Unusual Event was declared due to a loss of some control room alarm circuits... Plant maintenance and engineering technicians investigated the... problem. During the event, the plant was at 100 percent power and was stable, Smith stated...

Update: even the state police don't want to be too close to VY, in a report on their attempt to find a new barracks location:

According to a 2008 report issued by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Buildings and General Services, both the Rockingham and Brattleboro barracks are "worn out, under-sized and have outlived their useful lives."
The report found that sites near Exits 1, 2, 3 and 4 would not work because of their proximity to Vermont Yankee. In case of an emergency at the nuclear power plant, a command center near Yankee might have to be evacuated.

JulieWaters :: It's a good thing these events are so unusual...

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It's a good thing these events are so unusual... | 15 comments

Dear Lord (0.00 / 0)

What I find most shocking is that, while the bright light of relicensing is shining on VY they keep having "unusual events".

Seriously, if they can't run a tight ship when they know everyone is watching and their ability to keep running is on the line, why should we have any faith they will be able to do any better if are relicensed and people stop watching so intently?

by: raincntry @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 11:27:43 AM UTC

by: you @ soon

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IAMVY (4.00 / 2)

I Am Vermont Yankee:where the unusual becomes everyday
Do you suppose that given the NRC's love of categories (they have four categories of emergency) an unusual event that occurred often enough might get promoted and reclassified to standard operating condition? But perhaps that is a demotion.

by: BP @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 11:48:51 AM UTC

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Love the new slogan! (0.00 / 0)

by: Sue Prent @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 13:27:29 PM UTC

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But, but, but.... (4.00 / 1)

...wind turbines kill gajillions of birds, and solar panels don't work when it snows, and, uh...

[NB: I know those are both lies.]

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by: ntoddpax @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 12:46:24 PM UTC

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Wind turbines can be moved. (4.00 / 1)

If, despite all the study and planning that goes into siting them, they are found to interfere significantly with the environment, they can be disassembled and moved without leaving a radioactive landmark with the half-life of a Methuselah Oak.

Solar panels are just one of many alternatives that may be used in conjunction to meet the overall power need.

by: Sue Prent @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 13:34:30 PM UTC

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As I said... (4.00 / 1)

...both those claims are lies.

Turbines did have some problems in the distant past, but we actually have learned a lot. Siting and design has vastly improved, so everything else is a canard based on old info.

And solar works really well when there's snow (reflected light), panels are angled to dump precip, and it's not like we don't have shovel/brush technology capable of cleaning them if there is build up.

I'm a BIG proponent of renewables as part of my Economic Security plank. Following the development in particular of the Ferrisburgh Solar Farm and the newly approved wind farms on Georgia Mtn and in Lowell.

Granted, none of these projects are going to replace VY's 640MW by next Tuesday, but as you said, they don't leave tritium and strontium around...

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by: ntoddpax @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 18:51:43 PM UTC

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Lowell Mtn isn't approved (0.00 / 0)

They just submitted their application to the PSB this summer.

by: saygoodnightGracie @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 19:32:10 PM UTC

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Yeah, sorry... (3.00 / 1)

...I was too loose in my terminology. It was approved by voters so far, not the Board. My apologies.

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by: ntoddpax @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 20:02:51 PM UTC

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But in today's wind news, on the other hand... (4.00 / 1)

The Environmental Court has (finally) rejected opponents' appeal of an ANR construction stormwater permit for First Wind's Sheffield project.

by: saygoodnightGracie @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 20:06:18 PM UTC

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we don't (4.00 / 3)

need to replace VY's 640 MW

VT utilities never bought more than half and Entergy only offered to sell about 100 MW if it was relicensed

finding 300+ MW in New England will not be a challenge; adding renewables (plus greater efficiency) will be less trouble than many people think (especially if we get a new governor who actually supports renewables

by: Doug Hoffer @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 21:36:40 PM UTC

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I agree (0.00 / 0)

It can be less trouble that people think, but there's a lot of inertia and misinformation we have to fight, not to mention outright corporate resistance (*cough*CVPS*cough*).

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by: ntoddpax @ Tue Aug 31, 2010 at 01:36:13 AM UTC

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Ummm...if I may..... (0.00 / 0)

It's NOT unusual.

Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.

by: kestrel9000 @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 16:41:56 PM UTC

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Somehow, I knew that was comin' :) (4.00 / 1)

by: Sue Prent @ Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 16:56:56 PM UTC

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Now the usual Vermont Yankee UPDATE (4.00 / 2)

Standard operating procedure, more information comes leaking out after a couple of days

Entergy had originally reported to the NRC on Sunday night that only one fuse had blown, but further investigation showed that seven fuses were affected.
Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the NRC, said Entergy would have to file an updated report on the incident, in addition to conducting the root cause analysis.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/a...

by: BP @ Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 10:19:34 AM UTC

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What? And it's not even Friday! (4.00 / 2)

by: Sue Prent @ Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 10:58:45 AM UTC

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It's a good thing these events are so unusual... | 15 comments