| Subject: |
|
They can't spell NRG |
| Name: |
|
Homer |
| Date Posted: |
|
Sep 1, 07 - 1:40 PM |
| IP Address: |
|
71.192.200.27 |
| Message: |
|
Mishap shuts down Vermont nuclear plant
By Dave Gram, Associated Press | August 31, 2007
MONTPELIER - The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant went into automatic shutdown yesterday during what plant officials said was testing of a turbine valve.
"Plant technicians are in the process of investigating the cause of the automatic shutdown," said a statement issued by the plant owner, Entergy Nuclear. "The plant remains in a safe and stable condition and will be restarted after a thorough evaluation of the shutdown is completed."
Entergy spokesman Robert Williams said plant technicians were "troubleshooting one of the turbine valves," when the shutdown occurred at 3:12 p.m. He could not provide details on the problem with the turbine valve.
Williams said such a shutdown was not unprecedented at Vermont Yankee and "not uncommon" in the nuclear industry.
David O'Brien - commissioner of the Department of Public Service, which regulates utilities in the state - said he had been told that plant technicians had done routine testing of valves controlling steam flow to the turbine on Wednesday. "They found a problem with one of the valves, and tagged it to return today," he said.
Technicians completed a repair yesterday afternoon and were leaving the area when all four valves began shutting down. When steam flow was cut to 90 percent of normal, the plant automatically shut down, he said.
"There's not any sort of public safety issue at this point," O'Brien said.
Diane Screnci, spokeswoman for the Northeast regional office of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said the NRC had confirmed that the plant was in a safe and stable condition.
The plant in Vernon, in Vermont's southeast corner, was operating at 62 percent of its usual 610-megawatt power output. It reduced power Aug. 21, when part of one of its two cooling towers collapsed. Plant officials are still trying to determine the cause of that mishap.
Mississippi-based Entergy, which bought Vermont Yankee from a group of New England utilities in 2002, is seeking to extend its license by 20 years beyond its scheduled 2012 expiration.
© Copyright The New York Times Company |
|
Replies:
|
|
|
|
|
bravenet.com