Deconstruction of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant is nearing its completion, according to NorthStar Group Services, in a September decommissioning update.
The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel met on Sept. 22, where NorthStar senior project manager Corey Daniels reported an update on the Vermont nuclear plant’s decommissioning activities.
Daniels said most of the physical decommissioning work “should be coming to a close by the end of this year.” NorthStar has been decommissioning the Vermont Yankee plant since 2019.
Daniels reported the company is on track to finish physical decommissioning this year, which would be ahead of 2030 commitment per its memorandum of understanding.
According to the update, NorthStar has had zero Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) accidents to date, with over two-million-staff hours worked on the site since January 2019. The company has also had zero Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) violations.
When discussing the non-radiation site characterization and remediation, Daniels told the panel that the company identified a groundwork site to be contaminated with PFAS, which is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, sometimes called forever chemicals. Daniels said the PFAS concentration was only “above the limit a little bit.”
Daniels said there is a work plan under development, in coordination with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, for corrective action and management.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon, Vt. began operation in 1972 and ceased in 2014. The plant had one unit that produced 650 megawatts and when in operation, it was the largest electric generation station in Vermont.