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INTRODUCTION
A
message to the neighbors of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
Emergency
Information
This
important information is provided to you as a public service by Vermont
Emergency Management, the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Yankee.
It
tells you what to do in the event of an emergency at the Vermont Yankee
Nuclear Power Station.
Some
of this information would also be useful in other emergencies
requiring public notification and possible public response. Such
emergencies may include train derailments, chemical spills, floods,
hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes.
In
keeping with this all hazard approach, be aware that many of the
same devices and procedures are used for all types of hazards.
For example, if you hear a siren signal, you cannot assume that
it is for a particular hazard until you confirm it by listening
to the Emergency Alert System message. Do not take any action
until you listen to that message or other reliable source.
Please
read this calendar and keep it in a safe and accessible place.
Security
Security
measures at nuclear power stations nationwide have been increased since
September 11, 2001. Vermont Yankee has also taken significant measures
to protect the power station in Vernon against a security threat.
About
Vermont Yankee
The
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, VT is a single
unit "boiling water reactor." At Vermont Yankee, water
is heated to produce steam that flows to a turbine. The turbine
rotates and spins an electric generator producing electricity
- just as in a coal or oil-powered power plant.
The
steam then goes into a heat exchanger called a condenser, and
becomes water when cooler water from the Connecticut River flows
through tubes containing the steam in the condenser. The condenser
is designed to keep steam from the turbine separate from the water
that is drawn from and returned to the river. This process is
similar to any power plant that uses steam. Once the steam in
the condenser becomes water, it is pumped back into the reactor
to be boiled again. The plant produces 540 megawatts of electricity
daily, enough electricity to light 540,000 homes, operating safely
and reliably since 1972. Vermont Yankee, like all nuclear power
plants, does not produce greenhouse gases or other air pollutants.
Vermont
Yankee Safety Systems
Vermont
Yankee, like all American nuclear power plants, has numerous safety
features designed to protect the plant, the environment and the health
and safety of the people around the plant if a problem occurs. These
safety systems include:
- Several
separate sources of cooling water to prevent the fuel from overheating
in normal and emergency conditions.
- Backup
systems and components for key plant functions.
- A
leak-tight steel-lined, steel-reinforced concrete containment
building.
- Backup
electric power supplies to operate all key components.
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