If you do a quick Google search You’ll see the phrase “There was no threat to public health or safety” combined with “Vermont Yankee” pops up quite a bit.  It popped up again yesterday:

“The leak was isolated,” Smith wrote. “The valve has been replaced and the LCO has ended. There was no threat to public health or safety and there was no leak to the environment.”

You might think that this is in reference to another, previously reported, leak.  That, however, would be incorrect.  This time, it was a new leak on Tuesday, June 8th, which involved a valve releasing 1.6 gallons per minute into the containment building.  According to reports, it lasted under six hours.

But I want to get back to that phrase “no threat.”  

A threat doesn’t have to be immediate to exist.  There might not have been an immediate threat from this particular leak, but at this point, a power plant of the nature of Vermont Yankee, which has operated beyond its expected life cycle?  That’s a threat.  Every single minute of operation on the part of this plant is a threat, and every new leak, spill, equipment failure?  That’s not a new threat.  That’s just an illustration of the threat that is a constant issue for us.

It’s really time to move forward and find a new source of power for this state (and all the places VY exports it to).  This is just ridiculous.