I was dismayed to see your choice of words for a story appearing in your Sunday edition (Dec. 27) regarding Vermont Yankee. The story was entitled "Potential for another meltdown?". I would have hoped you would understand how irresponsible that phrase is and what that terminology represents.

While the ongoing political discussion of this subject can be heated at times, that discussion is beyond the everyday person's awareness and so a headline that alludes to a "meltdown" could be greatly misunderstood.

So please do exercise a greater degree of care in affixing headlines to your stories on this topic going forward. Public safety is a matter that those of us in a position of responsibility in government take very seriously. So let's reserve the use of such phrases for the appropriate conditions or circumstances.

David J. O'Brien

Commissioner

Dept. of Public Service