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January 20, 2012

Vermont Barred From Shuttering Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant 
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A federal judge has blocked Vermont from forcing the closure of the
Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant when its license expires in March.
The Vermont Senate voted to deny the company a new operating license in
2010, but the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission extended the
plant’s license, in the days following last year's Fukushima nuclear
crisis. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha overruled
Vermont's effort, saying only federal authorities can regulate nuclear
safety. The Vermont Yankee plant is one of the oldest in the country and
has had a series of radioactive tritium leaks. Vermont officials are
expected to appeal the ruling.



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