Vermont nuclear plant says design flaw in underground piping system led to radioactive leak
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VERNON, Vt. (AP) — Officials at Vermont's only nuclear power plant say a design flaw that kept engineers from inspecting underground pipes helped cause a leak of radioactive water into the ground.
In a report released Tuesday, Entergy Vermont Yankee says a pipe tunnel was blocked with construction material left over from the plant's construction in 1972 and prevented water contaminated with tritium (TRIHT'-ee-um) from passing through the drain line and into a tank.
A separate pipe installed in 1978 created a pathway that allowed the contaminated water to reach the soil on the plant's grounds.
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The leak was reported Jan. 7. Plant officials say there's no evidence of drinking water contamination.
Last month, plant officials announced that radioactive strontium-90 had been found in soil at the plant.