Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Could Be Impacting Vermont's Brand Image

The bucolic beauty of Vermont, along with its famed cheese and maple syrup, contribute to its positive brand image and make this New England state an internationally known tourist attraction.

Now questions are being raised about whether or not the Vermont brand will be hurt by Vermont Yankee, a nuclear power plant that recently disclosed it is leaking tritium into the groundwater. While Vermont has had nuclear power for forty years, the aging Vermont Yankee plant currently faces relicensing by the Vermont senate; if the license is not renewed, the plant could be closed as early as 2012.

In the meantime, Vermont Yankee's recent negative press raises concerns about the environmentally pristine image of the tiny state, whose name means, "green mountain."Continue reading...