Vermont Press Bureau
MONTPELIER – Extraordinarily high levels of radioactive water was discovered in a trench at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant this week, lawmakers revealed Wednesday.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, told reporters that surface water discovered in a trench at the site of the Vernon nuclear reactor has tested positive for tritium, with levels ranging from 1-2 million picocuries per liter.

That’s about 100 times the amount of the radioactive isotope discovered late last year in groundwater surrounding Vermont Yankee.

Shumlin, who was informed of the discovery late Tuesday night by state health officials, said after Entergy officials said the trench filled back up with suspected radioactive water after it was pumped out and processed.

“I share the frustration of Vermonters that we have not yet found the source of the problem,” said Shumlin, who lives in the same county as Vermont Yankee. “We will get to the bottom of this as quickly as we can.”

Shumlin and House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown, said in light of recent revelations that Entergy officials misled state regulators and lawmakers about the existence of underground pipes at the plant – pipes that are now suspected of leaking this radioactive isotopes – they are calling for independent tests to be performed by the Vermont Department of Health.

Daniel.Barlow@timesargus.com