Vermont regulators gave a conditional OK late Monday to a plan to increase the output of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant by 20%.
Vermont Yankee is located just across the river from Hinsdale, New Hampshire. NHPR correspondent Eesha Williams files this report.
Officials at Entergy, the company that owns the Vermont Yankee facility, praised the report.
So did local anti-nuclear activists.
In its decision, the Vermont public service board said increasing the plants power would bring economic benefits to the area.
The so-called uprate would also produce enough additional electricity for thousands of homes and businesses.
But the report expressed concern that ramping up production at the 32 year-old reactor could increase the chances of an accident.
So the board made its approval conditional on a thorough inspection of Vermont Yankee.
Peter Alexander is director of the anti-nuclear New England coalition.
Alexander
We?re very pleased because this inspection, if it is done correctly, is going to provide us at least an indication of the condition of the plant today. Our concern in going through this whole thing was that they were trying to grandfather this whole thing in, boost the power to 120 percent of the plant?s originally designed capacity without even knowing the condition of the plant.
Williams
Entergy officials declined comment until they've had more time to evaluate the board's report.
But company spokesman Rob Williams told the Rutland Herald he was quote ?pleased? and ?happy? with the board?s decision.
Still opponents of the uprate seem to have won this battle.
That's according to David Lochbaum.
Lochbaum is a nuclear engineer with the environmental organization the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Lochbaum
The board came down closer to what the New England coalition was calling for, a Maine Yankee-like inspection. It?s much closer to that than what the company was seeking.
Williams
Vermont lawmakers last week called on the nuclear regulatory commission to inspect Vermont Yankee as it did the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant in 1997.
That inspection found so many problems the plant?s owner found it cheaper to close the plant than to fix it.
The NRC has promised it will do a thorough and careful review of Vermont Yankee before approving the uprate.
In its 150-page decision the Vermont board said it had received many public comments about nuclear waste.
Vermont Yankee will produce more waste if the uprate goes ahead.
And the public service board noted that Entergy could soon run out of room to store the waste generated.
Still anti-nuclear activist peter Alexander considers the boards report one victory.
But he's not quite ready to celebrate.
Alexander
I would say our confidence is very low that they will do anything unless we basically force them to. This is why it?s so important for public opinion to be expressed. It?s very, very important that people show up and let the NRC know that the people, not just in Vermont but in the region, are up in arms about safety concerns.
Williams
The NRC has scheduled a public hearing at in Vernon, Vermont at the end of the month. The site of the meeting is in the elementary school directly across the street from the nuclear plant.
For nhpr news, this is Eesha Williams in Brattleboro.
