Vermont Health officials say radioactive tritium has been detected for the first time on the shoreline of the Connecticut River near the Vermont Yankee plant.
The Health Department says this proves that tritium that leaked from the nuclear power plant last year has moved from Yankee grounds into the river.
The Health Department says two samples that were taken in July showed tritium just above detectable levels.
The samples were taken at the point where groundwater flows into the river.
Governor Peter Shumlin has called on Yankee to increase the number of wells at the plant that are pumping contaminated water out of the ground.
He’s also ordered the Health Department to take weekly samples at the shoreline and elsewhere in the river to test for contamination.