Failed flood seals discovered at Vermont Yankee

As reported by the Barre Montpelier Times Argus, failed flood seals at Entergy's Vermont Yankee allowed water to flow 400 feet from the Connecticut River's edge, to the atomic reactor's switchgear room, where it was beginning to fill a manhole immediately next to safety-critical electrical cables.

The article quoted Chris Recchia, commissioner of the Department of Public Service:

“We need to wait for their report and see if it’s a newer problem or an older problem. But like the problem last week, I have concern about the aging of the system and what’s required to keep the plant running well.” (emphasis added)

If it had been a regular flood, “there could have been serious damage,” he said. “Clearly the system, and the seal, were not functioning well. Whether it was one of the new seals or an old seal, I don’t know.”

"The problem last week" to which Recchia referred was the blow out of a panel from the VY reactor building, as reported by the Rutland Herald. By Recchia's count, three systems failed in the blow out panel incident. As reported by the Herald:

'...an exhaust fan and exhaust louver in the reactor building both didn’t work as expected, and when the panel blew out, it flew onto the roof of the nearby turbine building.

According to design, the panel was supposed to be attached by a wire rope, and was supposed to fall back into the reactor building.

Recchia said that he asked the NRC whether the systems had been reviewed during the relicensing process conducted by the federal regulators.

“After all, this is believed to be original equipment on Vermont Yankee,” Recchia said.'