According to this very small news item:
Workers have repaired a gate on a Connecticut River hydroelectric dam that had been stuck open for more than two weeks.
But since the dam is not owned by a corporation headquartered in darkest Louisiana, nobody has demanded that it be closed down and the site returned to its original, pristine condition.
Having spent the best part of about ten summers in the bowels of the turbines at the hydro station in Vernon as a "waterwheel mechanic" back in the 50s and 60s, I can tell you that having a gate stuck in the open position or partially open is not a highly unusual event. It does happen now and then. There are also any number of reasons for the event. Freeing it can be reasonably simple during normal river flow and a bit more complicated during high water. Comparing the incident to recent problems at Yankee or to differences in where the company that owns the plant is located is ridiculous.
Posted by: G. Cross | May 02, 2008 at 08:22 PM