The state of Vermont wants the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to put a hold its review of a plan to relicense the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
The Douglas administration is asking for an independent safety assessment of the 30-year-old reactor. The state’s congressional delegation has made a similar request.
Vermont Yankee owner Entergy Nuclear wants to extend the operating life of the plant from 2012 until 2032.
Last year a report by the commission’s Office of Inspector General found what it considered to be shortcomings in its review process.
Support for Vermont Yankee was shaken last summer after the collapse of part of one of its cooling towers.