The Shumlin Administration has asked federal regulators to look into why radiation monitors failed recently at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
Yankee reported the failures to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission earlier this week. A plant spokesman has said the monitors sent false readings and four have since been replaced.
The Department of Public Service, which represents consumers in utility issues, has asked the federal agency to dig deeper. Deputy Commissioner Darren Springer said the monitors are a key piece of equipment at the nuclear plant.
“And so what we’re asking the NRC to do is to let us know exactly what Vermont Yankee reported to them, to let us know how in the context of re-licensing Vermont Yankee these radiation monitors were considered; what’s the age of the equipment; what’s the functionality of the equipment?” he said.
NRC rules allow Yankee 60 days to report the failure. But Springer said that common sense suggests that the equipment should be running all the time, and that failures should be reported immediately to regulators.
