Vermont urges court to let state rule nuke plant

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The state of Vermont is asking a federal appeals court to allow the state to decide whether Entergy Corp.'s Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should be able to continue operating its plant in Vernon.

The state filed a brief Monday as part of its effort to have the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York overturn a federal judge's ruling that said only the federal government can decide whether a nuclear plant can operate.

Attorney General William Sorrell says the state is asking the appeals court to uphold Vermont's Act 160, which gives the Legislature the authority to decide if the plant should be allowed to operate.

Sorrell says the district court's ruling "sets a troubling precedent that could chill legislative participation and debate."