Confusion reigns over nuclear plant demolition methodology.
Will explosives be used to demolish radioactive structures at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant? It depends on who you ask.
State officials have filed testimony claiming NorthStar Group Services, which wants to buy and decommission the idled nuclear plant, plans to use explosives on “at least one” contaminated building. The department is raising concerns about the spread of radioactivity.
But NorthStar’s chief executive officer says his company has no such plans. And there seem to be no public documents available to back up the state’s contention.
The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission also has no record of any blasting plans at Vermont Yankee. Federal regulators keep a tight rein on the use of any explosives at nuclear plants, NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said.
“We would not allow the use of explosives for buildings with significant radiological contamination,” Sheehan said. “Our concerns in this area would center on the ability to control any airborne radioactivity/contamination.”
NorthStar is seeking federal and state permission to buy Vermont Yankee by the end of next year. The demolition contractor says it can clean up most of the Vernon site as early as 2026, several decades sooner than current owner Entergy had planned.
That would make the property available for redevelopment much sooner than had been expected. But some are skeptical that NorthStar can follow through on its plans.
Vermont officials have not been shy about expressing their reservations about NorthStar’s financial wherewithal and planning. But the use of explosives is a new concern emerging in testimony submitted by the state Public Service Department.
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