Dozens of Vermont Towns Want Nuclear Plant Shut Down

Vermont Yankee is one the oldest nuclear power plants in the nation – so old, the technology wouldn’t be used today.
But the 650 megawatt plant -which sits less than a mile from New Hampshire’s border– supplies a third of Vermont’s electricity.
It’s owned by Entergy Nuclear, which wants to run the 37-year-old plant for another two decades.
For some residents, that’s just too long.
Ellen “..there’s any number of things that make me ask why are we taking this risk.”
That’s Ellen Kaye with Vermont’s Safe and Green Campaign, a network of groups and citizens living within 20 miles of the reactor.
“There was a cooling tower collapse a year and a half ago, there’s right now, a radioactive water leak that they have not been able to repair, it’s a small leak but radioactive water is leaking.”
She and other environmental groups point to other safety issues – including documented cracks in steam dryers, fires in the transformer station, and aging condensers.
Kaye says those are just some of the reasons she and other residents in 35 towns voted in favor of a measure urging lawmakers to pull the plug on Vermont Yankee.
Newfane resident Dan Dewalt coordinated the town meeting effort.
He thinks the numbers will make a difference – even though the resolution is non-binding.
Dan2 “I don’t think you can put your finger on it and say that vote is going to change this vote in the legislature, but in view of the fact that we do take our democracy seriously here, as you folks do in NH, I think it will have an impact because our representatives are interested in having an informed populace and as such they sort of feel an obligation to listen to what the people say”
But Entergy Nuclear spokesman Robert Williams discounted the votes as not representative of Vermont.
Rob1 I really don’t think it’s a good measure of public opinion across the state here, I think most Vermonters feel that nuclear energy has to be part of the mix for reducing fossil fuel use and supporting the economy
Williams says many Vermonters don’t even participate in town meeting.
He says if Vermont Yankee is shut down, utilities would have to look elsewhere for power, and he says there aren’t enough renewable and cleaner sources to substitute for it.
Brad Ferland, President of Vermont Energy Partnership, agrees.
VEP is an organization of businesses, including Entergy, that touts the plant’s contribution to the economy.
4:06 they employee 650 workers, with good paying jobs, Vermont yankee puts about 100 million dollars into the economy annually
Half of Vermont Yankee’s employees live in Vermont, the other half live in New Hampshire or Massachusetts.
The other part of the resolution called for Entergy to fully fund the plant’s decommissioning.
That’s a bill that the legislature is now considering.
Representative Tony Klein from East Montpelier is sponsoring the bill.
2:35 the decommissioning fund is grossly deficient right now, the fact of the matter is that the plant is scheduled to close in 2012 and right now there are no talks..so we’re preparing for the eventuality of it closing.

Entergy says the cost to decommission the plant ranges from 700 to 900 million dollars.
Right now, there’s only 370 million dollars in its decommissioning fund.
Company spokesman Robert Williams says Entergy would rather see the plant go into what’s called safestore mode, designed to give the fund time to grow.
He says if the decommissioning bill is approved, the cost may pose problems for Entergy reaching a long term contract with utility companies.
And Representative Tony Klein says without a contract, it will be hard to determine if relicensing Vermont Yankee is in the best interest of Vermonters.
“so far nothing’s happened if we don’t know what the benefit package is, then there is no reason to consider whether the plant should operate or not, and the onus is really on Entergy.”
Klein says legislators still have a lot of information to wade through – including a review of the plant from an independent oversight panel.
He says the decision on keeping Vermont Yankee operating after 2012, won’t likely be made this session.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.