(Host) The Vermont legislature has the ultimate vote on whether Vermont Yankee can operate after 2012.

But legislative leaders now complain that the Douglas Administration is hindering an independent review of the plant.

VPR's John Dillon reports:

(Dillon) The Legislature passed -- and Governor Jim Douglas signed -- a bill that sets up a detailed review of the 36 year old nuclear power plant.

Lawmakers said the independent audit is critical for them to have confidence in the plant's safety and reliability.

The legislature got to pick two members of the oversight panel. But now legislative leaders say the Douglas Administration has refused to allow those members to participate in an inspection of Vermont Yankee. Here's House Speaker Gaye Symington:

(Symington) ``I think the whole point in setting up the public oversight commission was to let Vermonters have some confidence in the process of determining that this plant could be relied on to operate. I think Vermonters are due some confidence in the independence of that report. And clearly the administration is undermining that confidence.''

(Dillon) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is now conducting an inspection of Vermont Yankee. Members of the oversight commission wanted to participate, but first the NRC has to approve the site visit.

Senate President Peter Shumlin says the Department of Public Service has refused to ask the NRC for permission.

(Shumlin) ``And now we find out that the department told our appointees that they'd ask the NRC to let them into the plant for the very important work that's being done there this week. And now we find that they never asked the NRC to let them in, even though they told them they were making that request. So it's been a very, very disturbing development.''

(Dillon) The accusations have heightened tensions between lawmakers and the administration over the future of Vermont Yankee.

Steve Wark of the Department of Public Service accused the Legislature of ramping up the rhetoric.

(Wark) ``What is clearly is a misunderstanding and a highly charged event is being distorted as if you don't do it our way, then you're lying to people.''

(Dillon) Wark said members of the oversight panel will participate in a state review of the plant later this year. But he said the department had told the panel that it could not go along with the NRC inspection.

(Wark) ``So we have all along been very consistent with our message that we see these processes as different, separate and distinct.''

(Dillon) But the lawmakers say the integrity of the entire review process is at stake. They say its members need to be involved with the NRC inspection as well.

For VPR News, I'm John Dillon in Montpelier.