2 Vt. utilities sue nuke plant over tower failure
http://news.yahoo.com/2-vt-utilities-sue-nuke-plant-over-tower-175400319.html
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"Entergy's failure to implement and exercise sound practices with respect to the maintenance, repair and improvements of the facility's cooling towers caused tower failures in August 2007 and July 2008," Green Mountain Power Corp. and Central Vermont Public Service Corp. said in a joint statement Tuesday.
"The failures resulted in significantly reduced power output, which in turn deprived us of power due to us and our customers at specified, below-market prices," the companies added.
The companies announced the suit on Tuesday, a day after filing it in Windham Superior Court in Newfane. They are seeking $6.6 million — the amount they say they had to pay to replace the power they had been getting from Vermont Yankee during two power reductions triggered by the cooling tower failures in August 2007 and July 2008. The two utilities said they would also seek to recover interest and legal fees, and requested a trial by jury.
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Relying on Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection reports, the lawsuit said the initial failure of one of the cooling towers was due to rotting of wooden support beams caused by a chemical compound containing iron, fungus growing on the beams and bolts that were tightened too much. The second problem arose because of an inadequate repair of the first, the suit said.
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in the blink of an eye human error can cause a hellish situation