ML100280664

LTR-10-0026 - Ltr., Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernard Sanders, & Rep. Welch, Contamination on the Grounds of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant

ML100280664
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	01/15/2010
From:	Leahy P, Sanders B, Welch P US Congress, US HR (House of Representatives), US SEN (Senate)
To:	Jaczko G NRC/Chairman
rihm R, 415-1717
Shared Package
ML100280938	List: ML100271649 ML100280550 ML100280664
References
CORR-10-0007, LTR-10-0026
Download: ML100280664 (2)

Text

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Jan 27, 2010 15:24 PAPER NUMBER: ACTION OFFICE: AUTHOR: AFFILIATION:

ADDRESSEE:

SUBJECT:

ACTION: DISTRIBUTION:

LETTER DATE: ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING: LTR- 10-0026 EDO.e .t1 Patrick Leahy/5~ce~~ardStuiere Re+p. W CONG Gregory Jaczko Contamination on the grounds of the Vermon Signature of Chairman OCA LOGGING DATE: 01/27/2010 c~ :EDO DEDMRT DEDR i EDCM nt Yankee nuclear plant AO OGC ocA 01/15/2010 No Ref: Ltr- 10-0024 NOTES: FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: (t 02/tT :S2010ET DATE SIGNED: Wc: ý) (Eý Cy -D ) ýC-,- V (b ý: sEcq -6 (

January 15, 2010 The Honorable Gregory B. Jaczko Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Chairman Jaczko:

We are writing in response to the alarming news that Entergy, owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, may have misled state officials regarding the safety of the plant.Elevated levels of radioactive tritium have recently been found in a groundwater monitoring well on the plant site and we understand from recent news reports that Entergy has confirmed that underground piping is among the possible sources of the contamination.

According to various reports in the media, this comes after Entergy Vermont Yankee officials had told state investigators, on a number of occasions, that there was no underground piping carrying water that could contain radioactivity.

This leak highlights our ongoing concerns about Entergy Vermont Yankee's commitment to safety and to being forthright with the public and state and federal regulatory and safety agencies.We therefore request that you undertake an immediate and thorough investigation to determine if there was an attempt by Entergy Vermont Yankee to mislead state officials regarding the plant's safety and underground piping. Please also determine whether information provided by Entergy to the NRC has been accurate, complete, and consistent with that provided to the State of Vermont. We hope you can pinpoint exactly what Entergy knew about the extent of their underground piping and this leak, and when they knew it. We would also like to know whether and why state regulatory agencies were not made aware of the extent of underground piping and the risk it posed prior to this incident, and whether communications to the NRC have been complete and timely. Finally, we would like the NRC to continue to work with the plant to determine the cause of the leak and resolve the situation as quickly as possible to avoid any further release of radioactive materials.

Please continue to keep us thoroughly informed as more information becomes available.

We are committed to assisting Vermont and the NRC to ensure that the Entergy Vermont Yankee plant meets its safety obligations.

We appreciate your timely attention to this issue.Sincerely,