Vermont Yankee Update

A while back, Laboville noted that some spent nuclear fuel was unaccounted for at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. Apparently, the missing fuel rods have been located, still in the holding pool where they were supposed to be. [link]

The mystery was solved when Vermont Yankee's owner, Entergy Corp., located records from another power plant indicating that it had sent a particular container to VY that could have contained the "missing" fuel. VY officials then searched for the container, and sure enough, located it in the pool. One watchdog group said that this raised a new concern, because earlier, VY officials speculated that the missing rods might be in a container welded to a bucket at the bottom of the pool. Leaving aside obvious questions about how nuclear fuel is stored -- the description of the second "container" calls to mind a hasty run to the local Ace Hardware just before closing (Excuse me, where do you keep the lead-lined buckets?) -- the fact that VY officials thought the fuel was in this bucket-container makes you wonder (a) how sure we can be that they're right this time; and (b) what IS in the bucket-container?

Anyway, thanks to all Laboville readers who diligently searched their attics and basements for the missing fuel rods. You may go back to searching for the real killer now.