NRC POSTPONES TWO MEETINGS WITH ENTERGY SCHEDULED FOR NOV. 9
AND ISSUES PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR ENGINEERING INSPECTION AT VY
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is working with local and state officials to reschedule two public exit meetings originally set for Nov. 9 in Vernon, VT. Yesterday, local officials told the NRC a larger-than-anticipated audience made them unable to support the two sessions between the NRC and Entergy to discuss preliminary findings from two inspections. Because another suitable location could not be located for Tuesday’s meetings in time to adequately notify the public, the public meetings are postponed.

The meetings were announced earlier this week. A meeting to present Entergy the preliminary results of NRC’s Special Inspection regarding two spent fuel rod pieces that were misplaced in the Vermont Yankee spent fuel pool was to have been held at 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Governor Hunt House. A 6 p.m. meeting, at Vernon Elementary School, would have discussed the preliminary findings of the NRC’s Engineering Team Inspection at Vermont Yankee. Both meetings would have been followed by sessions with the public.

NRC was notified yesterday by local officials that they could not assure the safety of the public because there were indications that the anticipated crowds might exceed the safe capacity of the facilities. The NRC is working with local, state and federal officials to identify a suitable location and forum for a future meeting, and the public will be notified of the final arrangements.

NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins said, “We made the responsible decision here because our first priority is safety. We will schedule a meeting to discuss our findings publicly once we can be assured that it can be conducted in a safe and constructive manner.”

The NRC had committed to make the preliminary inspection results publicly available prior to the planned meetings. Those preliminary results will be posted at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/plant-specific-items/vermont-yankee-issues/vermont-yankee-application.html.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010