Judge allows Entergy's warm river discharge

Entergy Nuclear can resume discharging heated water into the Connecticut River this summer, according to a decision by Environmental Court Judge Merideth Wright released Friday. However, Wright imposed conditions on the discharge and didn't grant the nuclear company its full request. She said Entergy couldn't discharge the 105-degree water until July, and ordered that the company install temperature sensors at the Vernon hydroelectric dam, which is downstream from the Vernon reactor. Under Entergy Nuclear's state discharge permit, it can discharge up to 543 million gallons of up to 105-degree water, as long as the temperature of the Connecticut River didn't rise more than 1 degree, higher than 76.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rutland Herald