Conservation Law Foundation, a New England-wide environmental group, and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group took aim at Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee and Entergy Nuclear Operations, two subsidiaries of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. that operate the Vermont Yankee plant in Vernon.
In a letter sent to the Justice Department, the groups accused the company of "providing false information under oath, and operating the Vermont Yankee facility with careless disregard that has led to contamination of ground and surface waters with radiologic substances." The letter was signed by CLF Vermont Director Christopher Kilian and VPIRG Executive Director Paul Burns.
Vermont Yankee spokesman Larry Smith did not immediately comment on the letter. Tristram Coffin, the U.S. attorney for Vermont, confirmed he had received a copy of it but said he could not comment further.
Andrew Ames, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, said in an e-mail, "We have received the letter and are reviewing it."
On Jan. 7, Vermont Yankee announced it was leaking tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that has been linked to cancer if ingested in large amounts, into groundwater on the reactor site. The following week, it was revealed that Vermont Yankee officials had misled state regulators and lawmakers by saying the plant did not have the sort of underground piping that could carry tritium.
The statements to regulators were under oath. State Attorney General William Sorrell has launched a criminal investigation into whether senior Vermont Yankee officials committed the crime of false swearing when they made those statements.
In a letter to Gov. Jim Douglas and legislative leaders, dated Wednesday and made public by Sorrell on Friday, the attorney general said he and his staff were getting good cooperation from Entergy in the investigation. He said it may be several months before the probe is complete.
