Jim-

It kind of makes sense that conditions within what's left of the reactor and turbine buildings might be very hot and humid, and that the Packbots might fog up their lenses.

mg-

What ever happened to the spent fuel from the decommissioned Trojan reactor? Is it in dry cask storage or still in a spent fuel pool?

I've also read a follow-up story this morning in my New York Times about the Vermont Yankee license extension attempt. Vermont Yankee, as mentioned above, is a boiling water reactor similar in design and age to the reactor in Unit 1 at the Fukushima-1 nuclear complex. The plant is schedule3d for decommissioning in 2012 but the NRC in March(!) approved a company plan to extend its license another 20 years. However, under an existing agreement with the company running the plant the Vermont Legislature has the final word on such an extension and the Senate voted decisively in April to not approve the extension. Now the company is suing the State, saying that it is interfering with interstate commerce and only the NRC has jurisdiction over nuclear health and safety issues. I don't expect the Governor or the State Legislature to back down and this will make an interesting case for "state's rights."

Charley Noble, still resident in Brooklyn after his morning bagel and coffee