Please Call Your Vermont Legislator Now!
The Renewable Energy Standard Billhttps://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/H.289The Renewable Energy Standard Bill (RES) H.289 has been vetoed by Governor Scott. The bill would significantly increase renewable energy production in Vermont. The original RES has not been updated in a decade. The Scott Administration has been spreading misleading and inaccurate cost information about the bill. The Governor has been touting a plan which delivers far less new renewables and passes off NUCLEAR ENERGY as a “Clean” alternative. The aftermath of electricity production at Vermont Yankee is fifty-eight giant casks of high-level radioactive waste sitting on the banks of the Connecticut River with no destination or just resolution in sight.
We must override Governor Scott’s Veto. Call or email your Representatives and Senators and tell them to override the Veto of H.289. Please do it immediately before Monday, June 17th. Ask friends and neighbors to do the same.
Find your legislator here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/
Next Vermont NDCAP Committee Meeting
When: Monday, June 17, 2024 at 12:00 Noon - 1:00 PM.
Where: Hybrid Meeting, see information below.
What: Meeting of the The Federal Nuclear Waste Policy (FNWP) Committee of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP).
At this meeting, officials from the US Department of Energy will be available to discuss long-term planning and technologies that could potentially be used for monitoring spent nuclear fuel storage canister integrity, since it is anticipated that the spent fuel could remain at the VY site for several decades (and potentially longer). Funding for long-term spent fuel storage may also be discussed. The Committee Chair will also report on findings gleaned from a national RadWaste Summit attended in early June.
In accordance with Vermont Open Meeting Law, the following physical location will be available for those wishing to attend this meeting in-person:
Governor Hunt House
Small Meeting Room (1st Floor, rear of the building)
320 Governor Hunt Road
Vernon, VT 05354
Remote access for this meeting will be available via a Microsoft Teams webcast and teleconference. Members of the public may join the webcast via
this link.
Meeting ID: 219 455 202 503
Passcode: NP9acz (this code is case-sensitive)
While this weblink will broadcast both the video and audio portions of the webcast, the meeting audio will also be available from the following teleconference connection:
(802) 552-8456 - OR - (802) 828-7228
Phone Conference ID: 363 695 177#
More information here.
March to End Fossil Fuels
Read the Press release reporting on the September 17 events
here.
Vermont Yankee sale to decommissioning firm complete
Mike Faher | VTDigger | Jan 11, 2019
Read in full at VTDigger
After more than two years of debate, deliberation and negotiation, Vermont Yankee has a new owner.
Entergy on Friday announced that it had completed the sale of the idled Vernon nuclear plant to NorthStar, a New York-based cleanup company that will undertake an accelerated decommissioning project.[...]
Activists protest plan to transport nuclear waste to Texas
AP | Times Argus | September 25, 2018
Read in full at Times Argus
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Environmental activists are campaigning against a bill that would establish mobile storage canisters for nuclear waste to be transported to southern states like Texas.
The group Citizens Awareness Network brought a mock radioactive waste cask to Montpelier Monday. The group says nuclear waste should remain in place and well-protected, until a better disposal option comes along that won't put the public at risk.[...]
Activists rally against nuclear waste transport
Joshua Solomon | Greenfield Recorder | September 21, 2018
Read in full at Greenfield Recorder
GREENFIELD — In a lot of ways it was like a party, celebrating the accomplishments of the past few years: The closures of the Vermont and Rowe nuclear plants.
Between free-styling on an electronic harmonica beside the accompaniments of the Wildcat O’Halloran Band, “Downtown” Bob Stannard belted the lyrics: “Yes I’ve heard about you baby … I’ve told you before, you’re heading out the door.” [...]
Environmental group raises concerns over transport of nuclear waste
Jodi Reed | 22 News WWLP | September 21, 2018
Watch or Read at WWLP
BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) - An environmental group is hoping to raise awareness about the dangers of transporting nuclear waste.
The Citizens Awareness Network stopped in Boston Friday to talk about a proposal that would transport nuclear waste from New England to New Mexico. Since many New England nuclear power plants have shut down, surrounding communities are haunted by the question of what to do with the nuclear waste. [...]
Anti-Nuke Groups Concerned About Plans For Vermont Yankee's Radioactive Waste
Peter Hirschfeld | VPR | September 19, 2018
Read or Listen at VPR
If you’re on the road in Vermont this week and happen upon a giant nuclear waste cask being towed by a white pickup truck, don’t panic — the cask itself is a fake. The people behind the spectacle, however, say the threat posed by nuclear waste is very real, and they’re sounding the alarm over plans for radioactive waste being stored at Vermont Yankee.
In 2016, one of the companies involved in the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant filed an application to build something called a “Consolidated Interim Storage Facility.” [...]
News Review and Radioactive Waste
WDEV | September 18, 2018
Listen at WDEV
On Tuesday’s Dave Gram Show, we start with a news review with Colin Meyn of VTDigger.org. Later, Dave talks with Deb Katz and other activists concerned about high-level radioactive waste shipments around New England and the nation.
Activists oppose potential transport of Vermont Yankee nuclear waste to Texas
Helena Battipaglia | NBC5 | September 18, 2018
Watch or Read at NBC
MONTPELIER, Vt. —
For years, discussions have taken place about the now-decommissioned nuclear power plant Vermont Yankee's high level nuclear waste potentially moving to locations in Texas or New Mexico.
The U.S. House recently supported the idea, passing legislation that would fund it. Now, frustrated environmental activists are again on a mission, and they're using a pretty eye-catching prop to prove their point.[..]
Anti-nuclear waste rally in Montpelier
Ike Bendavid | WCAX | September 18, 2018
Watch or Read at WCAX
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) An anti-nuclear waste campaign visited Montpelier Tuesday night, delivering a replica radioactive waste cask.
The event was organized by the "Citizens Awareness Network" as part of a multi-stop tour throughout New England. [...]
State Will Postpone Decision On Vermont Yankee Sale Until Federal Ruling
Howard Weiss-Tisman | VPR | July 9, 2018
Read or Listen at VPR
The Public Utility Commission will postpone its decision on a proposed deal to sell the shuttered Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.
The PUC issued a ruling Friday on the pending deal between Entergy and NorthStar Group Services, saying the state would wait until the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission makes a ruling on the license transfer.[...]
NorthStar makes new promises in Vermont Yankee sales deal
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 24, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
Facing a second round of questions from federal regulators, the proposed buyer of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is sweetening its offer.
In newly released documents filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, New York-based NorthStar Group Services is pitching financial, administrative and regulatory tweaks designed to alleviate the NRC’s concerns about the Yankee deal.[...]
Governor supports Vermont Yankee sale; feds ask for more information
Mike Faher | VTDigger | April 12, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO – Gov. Phil Scott has thrown his support behind the proposed sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
A few hours before the Vermont Public Utility Commission held its final public hearing on the sale Thursday night, Scott issued a statement praising a recent memorandum of understanding that involved several state agencies; current plant owner Entergy; prospective owner NorthStar Group Services; and other entities. [...]
Companies propose possible VY storage plan
Mike Faher | VTDigger | March 26, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO — While Vermont Yankee’s accelerated cleanup plan appears to be gaining momentum, the question of what to do with the plant’s radioactive spent fuel remains unanswered.
Two companies already involved in proposals for the Vernon plant’s decommissioning now say they also might have a solution to the problem of storing spent fuel. [...]
Vermont Yankee sale case will extend into summer
Mike Faher | VTDigger | March 9, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
It’s not over yet.
Despite two recent settlement agreements meant to sweeten the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee, state and federal regulators intend to take several more months to decide whether the transaction is a good idea.
The Vermont Public Utility Commission has issued a revised schedule for its review. It includes an April 12 public hearing in Windham County and mid-May evidentiary hearings in Montpelier. [...]
Vermont Yankee host town signs deal with plant suitor
Mike Faher | VTDigger | March 7, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
Several days after finalizing a settlement with state officials, Vermont Yankee’s prospective buyer has also struck a deal with Vernon, the nuclear plant’s host town.
NorthStar Group Services’ agreement with Vernon includes provisions for future tax payments, expense reimbursements, road repairs and river access if the New York-based company completes its acquisition of the idled plant.[...]
Troubled Vermont Yankee disposal company sold
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 29, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON — A New York private equity firm has snapped up yet another company involved in the proposed decommissioning of Vermont Yankee.
J.F. Lehman & Co. acquired Texas-based Waste Control Specialists, which is slated to dispose of Vermont Yankee’s low-level radioactive waste when the idled Vernon nuclear plant is razed.[...]
Vermont Yankee sale settlement may be imminent
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 25, 2018
Read in full at VTDigger
The current and prospective owners of Vermont Yankee are pushing for a quick settlement with state regulators who are reviewing the idled nuclear plant’s potential sale.
But there’s no deal yet, and a status conference in the case scheduled for Thursday morning was canceled by the state Public Utility Commission.[...]
Vermont Yankee buyer makes financial case
Mike Faher | VTDigger | December 8, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – A New York company is using words like “reasonable,” “reliable” and “adequate” in an effort to convince federal regulators that it has enough cash to buy and clean up Vermont Yankee.
In answer to questions posed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NorthStar Group Services says it has a sound plan to pay for the long-term management of radioactive spent fuel at the idled Vernon plant. [...]
Work of state’s Vermont Yankee consultants to be under wraps
Mike Faher | VTDigger | December 5, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – Entergy won’t be allowed to question consultants who are helping state regulators decide whether Vermont Yankee should be sold.
The Vermont Public Utility Commission says it is hiring a Georgia-based consulting firm, GDS Associates Inc., to sift through evidence in the complex case. [...]
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Releases List Of Issues To Consider In New Decommissioning Rules
Howard Weiss-Tisman | VPR | November 28, 2017
Read in full at VPR
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has narrowed down the issues it expects to address in a new set of rules for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. [...]
Regulatory Improvements for Power Reactors Transitioning to Decommissioning
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission | November 20, 2017
Read Full Report
A report listing emergency preparedness, physical and cyber security, training requirements for certified fuel handlers and uses of the decommissioning trust funds as some of the issues it wants to address in new rules.
Future appears murkier for Vermont Yankee fuel
Mike Faher | VTDigger | November 20, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO — It’s never been clear exactly when Vermont Yankee’s radioactive spent fuel might leave Vernon or where it might go.
And the situation may have gotten even murkier over the past year, mostly due to leadership changes in Washington.
State nuclear engineer Tony Leshinskie said he’s been deeply involved in planning for the day when rail cars full of spent fuel depart from Vermont Yankee. But he said a tangle of political and regulatory shifts at the federal level has made it “anyone’s guess” when that day might come. [...]
Feds prolong review of Vermont Yankee sale
Mike Faher | VTDigger | November 5, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – Federal regulators say they need more information and more time to decide whether Vermont Yankee should be sold to a New York decommissioning company.
The plant’s current and prospective owners, Entergy and NorthStar Group Services, had asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rule on Vermont Yankee’s proposed license transfer by the end of this year.
But in a letter released Friday, the NRC said NorthStar must answer more questions about its financial plans and technical qualifications. A spokesman said the commission’s review now is expected to extend through March. [...]
Consultant: Vermont Yankee could hold contamination surprises
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 30, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – In its pitch to buy Vermont Yankee, NorthStar Group Services has touted a detailed cleanup plan consisting of more than 900 elements – each with its own budget.
But there’s a growing chorus of skeptics who wonder whether the New York-based company has enough information to make such plans. [...]
AREVA signs deal to dismantle Vermont Yankee reactor
Mike Faher | VTDigger | July 11, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – A Washington, D.C.-based company has signed a contract to take apart and ship away Vermont Yankee’s reactor.
AREVA Nuclear Materials’ deal with NorthStar Group Services is contingent on NorthStar receiving state and federal permission to buy and decommission the idled Vernon nuclear plant. [...]
States claim NRC ignoring nuke cleanup concerns
Mike Faher | VTDigger | June 26, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
Vermont and three other states are accusing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of favoritism as the federal agency seeks to revamp rules for decommissioning nuclear plants.
Vermont officials, including the Vermont Attorney General, have joined their counterparts in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York to lobby again for stricter decommissioning regulations and a stronger role for states in nuclear cleanups. [...]
New Vermont Public Service Board chair won’t hear Vermont Yankee case
Mike Faher | VTDigger | June 17, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
The state Public Service Board’s new chairman won’t be involved in one of its biggest pending cases – the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee.
A memo filed Wednesday, Anthony Roisman announced he “will not participate in this matter as chairman,” leaving the other two board members to decide the case. [...]
Vermont Yankee offers safety assurances as fuel move starts
Mike Faher | VTDigger | June 13, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – A contractor has begun the delicate task of moving Vermont Yankee’s radioactive spent fuel from a pool inside the reactor building into more secure, sealed casks.
In announcing that the project had kicked off Monday, plant owner Entergy called it an “important milestone.” That’s in part due to the company’s proposed sale of Vermont Yankee, which is contingent on completing the fuel move by the end of 2018. [...]
Vermont Yankee fuel move into more-secure storage is delayed
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 31, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – In April, crews were supposed to have begun the expensive, high-security transfer of Vermont Yankee’s spent fuel into sealed casks.
But that work has not started, and plant owner Entergy has reduced its projections for how many casks will be filled this year. [...]
Feds face questions at Vermont Yankee meeting
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 28, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO – In the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s much-heralded return to Windham County Thursday night, there were two primary themes – land and money.
On both of those issues, NRC officials pointed directly to NorthStar Group Services, the New York company that wants to buy and clean up Vermont Yankee. [...]
Nuclear advisory panel realignment stalls
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 22, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO — A bill that would have bolstered Windham County’s representation on the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel has stalled in the Legislature.
H.144 was controversial in part because it would have booted longtime Sen. Mark MacDonald, D-Orange, from the advisory panel while guaranteeing seats for three Windham County lawmakers. [...]
State supports confidentiality for documents in Yankee case
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 21, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – Two state agencies aren’t objecting to an unusual confidentiality request from the proposed buyer of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
The Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Public Service both agree that NorthStar Group Services is justified in seeking to restrict public access to two documents that contain key details of the plant’s cleanup plan. [...]
Activists rail against Vermont Yankee waste plans
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 12, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO – In the debate over Vermont Yankee decommissioning, there’s been a common theme: The plant’s spent fuel has got to go, and as soon as possible.
Recently, however, a small but vocal group has been raising concerns about where that radioactive material will end up and whether it’s fair for Vermont to make that waste someone else’s problem. [...]
Yankee suitor: Public shouldn’t see ‘highly confidential’ plans
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 10, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – The state’s review of the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee is a public process, with thousands of pages of documents filed and posted online.
Now, the company that wants to buy the shut-down Vernon nuclear plant wants the state Public Service Board to restrict access to two “highly confidential” documents that contain detailed financial plans for cleaning up the site. [...]
Host town formally backs Vermont Yankee sale
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 2, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – For many, the jury’s still out on whether a New York company can or should decommission Vermont Yankee.
But Vernon’s elected leaders have made up their minds.[...]
Proposed Vermont Yankee cleanup company responds to concerns
Mike Faher | VTDigger | April 17, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – After facing a long list of questions at a recent public meeting, a key player in the proposed Vermont Yankee decommissioning project is responding in writing.
AREVA Nuclear Materials – a partner of NorthStar Group Services, the nuclear plant’s proposed buyer – has issued online responses to questions about the schedule, cost and radiological safety of the cleanup job. [...]
Questions dominate Vermont Yankee sale discussion
Mike Faher | VTDigger | April 9, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – In a crowded cafeteria at Vernon Elementary School, debate and discussion about the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee stretched for three hours Thursday night.
But it all might boil down to one question: Is it too good to be true? [...]
Cleaning up Vermont Yankee
Sandra Levine | VTDigger Commentary | April 4, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
One of the more vexing problems of closed nuclear power plants is making sure the sites get cleaned up. Once closed, the operators no longer have electricity to sell that can help pay for the cleanup. Most sites will remain somewhat contaminated for decades — if not centuries. Vermont is no stranger to the legacy of pollution left behind by old power and industrial plants. From the PFOA contamination in Bennington to the Barge Canal in Burlington, and the battery plant in St. Albans, no corner of Vermont is spared. [...]
State, Entergy spar on contamination question
Mike Faher | VTDigger | March 26, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
Vermont officials claim they’re missing some critical environmental information needed to evaluate the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee.
At a meeting in Brattleboro late last week, representatives from plant owner Entergy and the Agency of Natural Resources clashed over whether there’s been sufficient investigation of nonradiological contaminants at the shut-down Vernon nuclear plant. [...]
PSB Sets March 14 As First Hearing For Vermont Yankee Sale
Howard Weiss-Tisman | VT Public Radio | February 28, 2017
Read in full at VPR
The state has scheduled its first public hearing on the proposed sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
The Public Service Board will be in Vernon on Tuesday March 14 as it considers the proposed sale from Entergy Nuclear Vermont to the demolition company NorthStar Group Services.
The public hearing will start at 7 p.m. at Vernon Elementary School. [...]
Union, environmental group seek role in Yankee sale review
Mike Faher | VTDigger | February 23, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
A labor union and an environmental advocacy nonprofit are the latest groups looking to participate directly in a review of the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee.
The Conservation Law Foundation and Local 300 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have filed motions for intervention before the state Public Service Board, which is considering a New York decommissioning company’s request to buy the Vernon nuclear plant. [...]
Federal application filed for Vermont Yankee sale
Mike Faher | VTDigger | February 14, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
A New York company has taken another big step toward purchasing Vermont Yankee.
NorthStar Group Holdings has filed an application with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to acquire the license of the shut-down Vernon plant. The request was filed jointly with Entergy, the facility’s current owner. [...]
State wants public input on Vermont Yankee sale
Mike Faher | VTDigger | February 12, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
The Vermont Public Service Board has decided to hold two public hearings in Vernon this year to gather comments on the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee.
The hearings – one next month, and another in September – are included in a new schedule for the board’s review of Entergy’s proposed sale of the Vernon plant to decommissioning contractor NorthStar Group Services. [...]
Former state official bows out of Vermont Yankee case
Mike Faher | VTDigger | February 6, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
A former state regulator has decided that she won’t be assisting Entergy in its effort to sell Vermont Yankee.
Private attorney Elizabeth Miller has given notice of her withdrawal from state Public Service Board proceedings concerning Entergy’s proposed sale of the shut-down Vernon nuclear plant to a New York-based decommissioning company. [...]
Vermont Yankee to move fuel in spring
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 27, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
Vermont Yankee’s radioactive spent fuel soon will be on the move.
In April, a contractor will begin loading the shut-down Vernon nuclear plant’s fuel into sealed casks, which will be placed on a concrete pad.
The fuel is not going far: The pad is a short walk from the plant’s reactor building, where thousands of spent fuel assemblies currently are stored. [...]
Vermont Yankee buyer lobbies for feds’ blessing
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 24, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
A New York company is asking federal regulators to green-light its acquisition of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant sometime later this year.
Representatives of NorthStar Group Services Inc., the proposed buyer of the shut-down Vernon plant, and Entergy, the current owner, hope to close the sale by the end of 2018. [...]
Key player in Vermont Yankee closure leaving Entergy
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 19, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
One of the public faces of Vermont Yankee’s closure, decommissioning and possible sale is leaving Entergy Corp. next month.
Bill Mohl, president of Entergy Wholesale Commodities, will retire effective Feb. 28, the company said Wednesday.
Mohl has overseen Entergy’s ongoing exit from the wholesale nuclear power business, including the 2014 shutdown of Vermont Yankee. That strategic shift was one of the company’s key objectives that Mohl has helped achieve, said Leo Denault, Entergy’s chairman and chief executive officer. [...]
Nuclear Watchdogs Wary Of Proposed Deal For Vermont Yankee
Peter Hirschfeld | VT Public Radio | January 12, 2017
Read & Listen at VPR
A New York firm says it can decommission the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant for far less money, and in much less time, than previously projected. But nuclear watchdogs say the “seductive” proposal needs intense scrutiny before regulators allow the deal to proceed.
After 42 years in operation, the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant shut down for good at the end of 2014. Until recently, it looked like the facility, and all of its radioactive waste, might remain in place for another 60 years. But a New York company called NorthStar Group Services says it’s prepared to complete that task in about a decade. [...]
Feds Set Date For Meeting On Vermont Yankee Sale
Howard Weiss-Tisman | VT Public Radio | January 9, 2017
Read in full at VPR
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled its first meeting with the company that wants to purchase and decommission Vermont Yankee.
The industrial demolition company NorthStar Group Services wants to purchase the Vernon nuclear reactor, and NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan says a meeting will be held on Jan. 24 to let NorthStar and Entergy Vermont Yankee discuss the proposed deal. [...]
Aging New York nuclear plant to close by 2021
David Klepper | Associated Press | January 7, 2017
Read in full at the Times Argus
ALBANY, N.Y. — The aging Indian Point nuclear power plant just north of New York City will close within about four years under a deal with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has long argued it should be shuttered to protect the millions of people living nearby.
Under the arrangement plant owner Entergy Corp. will shut both reactors at the Westchester County facility by April 2021. A person familiar with the agreement but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the agreement on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Friday.
It remains to be seen how the state would make up for the loss of electrical generation once the plant, which supplies a quarter of the power used in New York City and Westchester County, closes. The facility’s reactor units began commercial operation in 1974 and 1976.[...]
Former state regulator now an Entergy ally
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 2, 2017
Read in full at VTDigger
Entergy has found an unlikely ally in its quest to sell Vermont Yankee, and some anti-nuclear activists aren’t happy about it.
Elizabeth Miller – formerly an Entergy adversary in two prominent roles in state government – now is listed among the attorneys representing the company as it seeks state Public Service Board permission to sell the defunct Vernon plant to a New York-based cleanup specialist.
Miller, who’s now a private attorney in Burlington, confirmed her role in the sale proceeding but said she doesn’t comment on client retentions. And an Entergy Vermont Yankee spokesman said the company, as a matter of policy, would have no comment on the matter. [...]
Vermont Yankee suitor discloses detailed plans
Mike Faher | VTDigger | December 19, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
A New York company says it might start cleaning up the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in 2019 and could finish the job as early as 2026 — the most accelerated schedule released to date.
The disclosure comes in newly filed documents seeking state approval for Entergy’s proposed sale of the shut-down Vernon plant to NorthStar Group Services Inc. The companies want to close the deal by the end of 2018, and they’re asking the Vermont Public Service Board to rule by March 31 of that year. [...]
Pilgrim nuclear plant staff said to be ‘overwhelmed’
Travis Andersen | Boston Globe | December 8, 2016
Read in full at Boston Globe
Staff at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station appear to be “overwhelmed” and struggling to improve performance at the facility, which has a poor safety record and is set to close in less than three years, according to an internal memo from a federal regulator made public on Tuesday.
The memo, authored by Donald Jackson of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, indicated that inspectors had found a “safety culture problem’’ during their ongoing review, along with problems with maintenance, engineering, and the reliability of equipment at the 44-year-old plant. [...]
UPDATED: Entergy to sell Vermont Yankee to NorthStar
Mike Faher | VTDigger | November 8, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
Entergy has agreed to sell Vermont Yankee to a cleanup contractor, paving the way for decommissioning and site restoration to be completed by 2030 – 45 years sooner than had been planned.
The sale of the shut-down Vernon nuclear plant and all of its assets — including the decommissioning trust fund, which held $574.9 million at last report — to New York-based NorthStar Group Services Inc. is expected to close by the end of 2018, administrators said Tuesday. The deal is subject to approval by the Vermont Public Service Board and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [...]
State strikes out in Vermont Yankee trust fund fight
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 28, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has mostly rejected a state complaint about decommissioning spending at Vermont Yankee. The decision ends the last state appeal on how decommissioning funds are used thus ending the last such appeal that had been pending before the federal agency.
Nearly a year ago, Vermont officials had demanded a “robust, comprehensive and participatory review” of the ways in which Entergy Vermont Yankee administrators are spending money from the shut-down plant’s decommissioning trust fund. [...]
VY Report Gives Lessons Learned For Other Nuclear Shutdowns
Howard Weiss-Tisman | VPR | October 14, 2016
Read in full at VPR
Read the report
A new report gives details on the economic, social and land use lessons learned from the shutdown of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.
Economic development officials in the three states near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant have learned a lot about what happens when a plant closes.
On Friday, they released the report, which they say could be a roadmap for other regions around the country that face a similar shutdown.[...]
Vt. delegation clashes with nuke industry
Mike Faher | The Commons | October 5, 2016
Read in full at The Commons
As the federal government works to come up with new rules for decommissioning nuclear plants like Vermont Yankee, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch can distill his hopes into two words.
“We’re trying to say over and over again — ‘community involvement, community involvement, community involvement,’” said Welch, D-Vt. [...]
Vermont delegation clashes with nuclear industry
Mike Faher | VTDigger | September 27, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
As the federal government works to come up with new rules for decommissioning nuclear plants like Vermont Yankee, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch can distill his hopes into two words.
“We’re trying to say over and over again: ‘community involvement, community involvement, community involvement,’” said Welch, D-Vt.
He doesn’t believe the nuclear industry has the same goals. That’s why he and 14 other federal lawmakers — including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. — have sent a letter to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission expressing their concerns about the industry’s recent lobbying. [...]
Vermont Yankee gets $143 million fuel storage project in gear
Mike Faher | VTDigger | September 25, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
Vermont Yankee administrators waited two years for the state’s permission to build a new storage facility for nuclear waste at the defunct Vernon plant.
When they finally received that permit in late June, they didn’t waste any time getting started.
Entergy representatives on Thursday said the construction of a spent fuel storage facility is well under way, with a few dozen contracted workers having recently installed a massive generator to provide emergency power to the complex. [...]
Vernon’s power production future debated
Mike Faher | VTDigger | September 14, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – As residents try to imagine Vernon’s energy future, some say the former nuclear town should think small.
Officials and experts gathered Monday to discuss how Vernon might continue to produce electricity – whether on or off Vermont Yankee property – and possibly profit from it via jobs and tax revenue. The session included talk of gas plants, solar arrays, a hydroelectric partnership and an energy research facility. [...]
Vermont Yankee’s plan to send tainted water into river ‘on hold’
Mike Faher | VTDigger | August 23, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
Vermont Yankee administrators say they’re getting a stubborn groundwater intrusion problem under control and are no longer pursuing a proposal to discharge radioactive water into the Connecticut River.
While liquid continues to seep into the shut-down nuclear plant’s turbine building, that’s happening at a greatly reduced rate, spokesman Marty Cohn said.
So there is no current need to consider discharging the water, Cohn said. Vermont Yankee has been sending the contaminated liquid out of state by tanker truck for the past several months, but Cohn said the company is cutting back on those shipments. [...]
Entergy signs two-year deal to pay for emergency planning
Mike Faher | VTDigger | August 10, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
Entergy has agreed to give the state $600,000 for Vermont Yankee emergency planning over the next two years, and officials say some of that money will be allocated to towns in the vicinity of the shut-down nuclear plant in Vernon.
The funding is part of a new contract between Entergy, the plant’s owner, and the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. [...]
Entergy gets OK for 2nd fuel storage pad
Susan Smallheer | Barre-Montpelier Times Argus | June 21, 2016
Read in full at the Times Argus
Entergy Nuclear has received approval from state regulators to build another storage facility to hold the balance of its spent nuclear fuel that is currently in Vermont Yankee’s spent-fuel pool.
The Vermont Public Service Board, in a decision dated Friday, granted Entergy’s request to build a new concrete and steel pad that has space for 22 additional casks that will hold the irradiated fuel used in the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant during the past 42 years. [...]
Vermont Yankee decommissioning on track, says new director
Mike Faher | VTDigger | June 12, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] The 40-year industry veteran acknowledges that post-shutdown operations have been “a real learning experience.” But in an interview with VTDigger, Boyle also said Vermont Yankee is well-positioned for the long road ahead, both in terms of the plant’s remaining workforce and its finances. [...]
“Indian Point” Discussion
The film “Indian Point” by Ivy Meeropol was shown at the Green Mountain Film Festival in March 2016. Click here to watch a video of the panel discussion that occurred after the film. The panel included Amy Shollenberger of Action Circles as Moderator; Christopher Recchia, Commissioner of the VT Public Service Department; Marilyn Elie of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC). It was filmed and edited by Charlie Olson of The Environment TV.
Entergy won’t face fine for federal violation
Mike Faher | VTDigger | May 4, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
Entergy violated federal regulations last year by withdrawing $282,000 from Vermont Yankee’s trust fund months before the company was authorized to do so, a new inspection report says.
But the company won’t face any penalties. That’s because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is admitting that the federal rule in question is confusing and likely should be changed. [...]
New rules would lower rates for net metered power
Mike Polhamus | VTDigger | April 12, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
The Public Service Board is taking public comment on proposed rules that would lower the reimbursement rate utilities pay for net-metered power.
The scheme also incentivizes development in preferred locations, and subsidizes projects that keep renewable energy credits in-state.
Utilities and state officials say the new rules will tie net-metered power prices closer to the market rate. [...]
Testimony in House Fish & Wildlife Committee
March 30, 2016
Listen to it here
Testimony from the VT Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens' Advisory Panel (CAP); what it is, its 19 members, its purpose to get information out about the decommissioning of Vermont Yankee, and its activities so far.
Kate O'Connor - Vice-chair of the CAP
Trey Martin - Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, CAP member
Chris Campany - Executive Director of the Windham Regional Commission, CAP member
Joe Lynch - Government Affairs Manager for Vermon Yankee
State claims it could be left with big bills for Yankee cleanup
Mike Faher | VTDigger | March 24, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] The federal government’s “woefully inadequate” financial regulations could leave states like Vermont with big bills and massive cleanups long after a nuclear plant closes, state officials argue in newly released documents.
Vermont — with backing from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York — is lobbying for the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to tighten its financial rules and broaden its cost projections for decommissioning nuclear plants. [...]
Three states join Vermont over NRC's new rules for decommissioning nuclear power plants
VT Business Magazine | March 21, 2016
Read in full at VT Business Magazine
[...] The Comments were joined by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. “We greatly appreciate having the support of these other Attorneys General in raising the issues Vermont has been talking about for a while now,” said Attorney General Sorrell. “They see the importance of changing the rules to give real weight to state concerns relating to critical decommissioning issues. We don’t want to see plants simply being mothballed for decades. Nor do we want to have a plant owner without the money to cover an environmentally protective cleanup.” [...]
Congressional delegation presses state’s case on nuclear rules
Mike Faher | VTDigger | March 15, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
Vermont’s members of Congress are asking federal regulators to “give local stakeholders a seat at the table” when nuclear plants are decommissioned.
Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch, both Democrats, and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders joined a dozen other lawmakers in writing to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as that agency begins developing new regulations for shut-down plants. [...]
Watchdog groups concerned about Vt. Yankee storage plan
Alexei Rubenstein | WCAX | February 23, 2016
Read and watch at WCAX
[...] Although the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant stopped generating power more than a year ago, there are plenty of loose ends when it comes to the state's oversight of the plant.
The Public Service board kicked off two days of hearings on one of the key questions-- what to do with the nearly 900 radioactive fuel assemblies, or rods, that have accumulated since the plant first powered up in the 1970s. [...]
Changes to Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning Regulations
Presentation video | February 15, 2016
Watch it here
Powerpoint presentation file: Decommissioning from the Front Lines: History, Experience, and the Path Forward
Powerpoint presentation file: Responsible - Accountable - Transparent - Democratic: Overview of CAN-NIRS Comments
State will allow nuclear critic’s testimony in fuel case
Mike Faher | VTDigger | February 14, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] Plant owner Entergy had asked the Public Service Board to throw out the testimony of Raymond Shadis, an adviser to the Brattleboro-based New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution. But the board, in an order dated Thursday, overruled each of Entergy’s objections. [...]
Vermont Yankee decommissioning plans get fed OK
AP | Burlington Free Press | February 5, 2016
Read in full at the Burlington Free Press
MONTPELIER - The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, despite objections voiced by state officials, is giving positive reviews to the decommissioning plans developed by the owner of the closed Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. [...]
Entergy won’t make any financial promises
Susan Smallheer | Times Argus | February 4, 2016
Read in full at the Times Argus
BRATTLEBORO — Entergy Nuclear officials refused to give a financial promise that it would cover any additional costs if its choice of location for a new spent fuel pad creates costly problems during Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning.
The decision, which could have ramifications into the millions of dollars, continued to be debated Wednesday as a group concerned citizens debated whether to endorse Entergy’s plan on how and where to expand its radioactive fuel storage facility. [...]
State sets hearings on Vermont Yankee fuel debate
Mike Faher | VTDigger | February 1, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO — The quest to build a 76-by-93-foot concrete pad at Vermont Yankee already has generated reams of written testimony and hours of debate.
Later this month, the state Public Service Board will extend that debate by holding two days of technical hearings on the topic in Montpelier. [...]
Entergy spent down 10 percent of Vermont Yankee trust fund in 2015
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 26, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] Entergy has estimated that decommissioning Vermont Yankee will cost $1.24 billion. The trust fund contained a little over half that sum when the plant shut down, and Entergy in early 2015 began spending fund money on a variety of operational expenses including salaries and utilities.
The trust fund has been the subject of much debate. Vermont officials have challenged several of Entergy’s proposed fund uses, and they are particularly upset that the NRC decided to allow the company to withdraw money for long-term management of Yankee’s spent nuclear fuel. The state has filed a lawsuit and a hotly contested petition seeking to block that use. [...]
Three states jump into Vermont Yankee trust fund fray
Mike Faher | VTDigger | January 5, 2016
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] The three attorneys general cite concerns about cleanup at Vermont Yankee, given their states’ proximity to the Vernon facility. But they’re also thinking about the future decommissioning of nuclear plants in their own states.
“While (Vermont’s) petition was filed to address issues at Vermont Yankee, it raises serious, never before adjudicated questions about the use of decommissioning trust funds that apply to every such fund in the nation,” the states’ filing says. [...]
NRC, Entergy deride state’s concerns about VY decommissioning fund
Mike Faher | VTDigger | December 13, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] Now, NRC staffers and Entergy administrators are playing defense, deploying a variety of unflattering terms about the state’s complaint – “duplicative,” “impermissible,” “alarmist,” “meritless” and “vague,” to name a few – in an attempt to urge the NRC’s commissioners to reject Vermont’s petition.
Both the federal agency and the energy company take pains to say the scenario state officials are imagining – exhaustion of the Vermont Yankee trust fund before radiological cleanup is finished at the Vernon plant – simply can’t happen. [...]
Vt. congressional delegation: Public needs more say in nuke rules
Mike Faher | VTDigger | December 9, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] The creation of new federal regulations for cleaning up nuclear power plants is supposed to address a common complaint: that the decommissioning process doesn’t allow for meaningful public participation.But even as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission gets started on drafting those rules, there is new controversy regarding the rule-making process itself. [...]
Security, storage concerns linger at closed nuclear sites
David Abel | Boston Globe | November 26, 2015
Read in full at Boston Globe
[...] “We’re talking about a colossal amount of dangerous waste,” said Deb Katz, executive director of Citizens Awareness Network, who lives 18 miles from Vermont Yankee. “The radioactive plume from an accident could travel more than 100 miles within 24 hours, depending on which way the wind blows.” [...]
State legal fees could come from VY decommissioning fun
Mike Faher | VTDigger | November 16, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] Plant owner Entergy has been notified that Vermont will bill the company for legal fees incurred in the state’s lawsuit against the NRC. The state’s expenses in that case, in which Vermont is challenging the use of trust fund cash for nuclear fuel management, may total $250,000.
In response, Entergy is looking into whether the state’s bills may be paid from Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund. [...]
Entergy to Close James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Central New York
PRNewswire | November 2, 2015
Read in full at PRNewswire
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) announced today that it will close the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, NY, in late 2016 or early 2017. The company said its decision to close the plant is based on the continued deteriorating economics of the facility. The key drivers cited by the company include significantly reduced plant revenues due to low natural gas prices, a poor market design that fails to properly compensate nuclear generators like FitzPatrick for their benefits, as well as high operational costs. [...]
NRC: No investigation into Entergy finances needed
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 29, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
VERNON – Nine months ago, state officials demanded that the federal government “fully investigate” Vermont Yankee owner Entergy to determine whether the company “has sufficient financial capacity” to decommission the Vernon nuclear plant.
This week, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission delivered its response, which could be paraphrased this way: Thanks for the suggestion, but we’re taking care of it. [...]
Entergy wants to take $1.2 million from trust fund for property taxes
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 28, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] State officials may try to challenge the pending withdrawal. On Wednesday, Vermont Public Service Department Commissioner Chris Recchia said officials are “evaluating our options.”
“We do not believe taxes are an appropriate withdrawal from the decommissioning trust fund,” Recchia said. [...]
Entergy may move spent nuke fuel sooner than anticipated
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 24, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
BRATTLEBORO – An important part of Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning process – moving the plant’s spent nuclear fuel into more-stable storage – could begin two years earlier than originally planned.
In new filings with the Vermont Public Service Board, an Entergy executive says administrators may start to move the fuel into dry cask storage in “as early as 2017.” The company previously has said it would transfer the fuel in 2019 and 2020. [...]
Pilgrim nuclear power plant to close in Plymouth
David Abel | Boston Globe | October 13, 2015
Read in full and watch related video at the Boston Globe
The company that owns Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station said Tuesday that it plans to close the 43-year-old plant in Plymouth.
Entergy, a Louisiana-based energy conglomerate that has owned Pilgrim since 1999, said it will close the plant no later than June 2019. It will keep its estimated 600 workers on its payroll until that time. [...]
Nearly A Year After Shutdown, Vermont Yankee Continues To Spark Debate
Jane Lindholm & Sam Gale Rosen | Vermont Public Radio | October 12, 2015
Read in full and listen at VPR
Almost a year after its shutdown, the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is still sparking debate over safety, spending and the disposal of nuclear waste. [...]
State steps up demand for details of Vermont Yankee spending
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 5, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] State officials are demanding more-detailed information about how Vermont Yankee owner Entergy is spending cash from the nuclear plant’s decommissioning trust fund.
In documents filed Friday, Vermont asked the federal Atomic Safety and Licensing Board to require Entergy to “provide the state all supporting documentation for specific expenses” from the trust fund – a request that applies both to past and future expenditures. [...]
State creates email address for Vermont Yankee comment, questions
Mike Faher | VTDigger | October 5, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] State officials have created an email address to allow the public to comment on or ask questions about the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
The address – PSD.NDCAP@vermont.gov – is meant to improve communications with the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel. The panel is tasked with serving as a conduit for public information and education while also advising the governor, Vermont Legislature and state agencies on Vermont Yankee matters. [...]
Advisory panel looks for consensus on Vermont Yankee
Mike Faher | VTDigger | September 3, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
Like its name, the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel is a bit unwieldy: There are 19 members including government officials, private citizens and representatives of the nuclear industry.
“I think it’s unlikely that there’s any topic that we would find that we have consensus on, given the range of parties on the panel,” said Martin Langeveld, a citizen member of the panel.
At the same time, though, the word “advisory” is in the panel’s name and its charter. So, on Wednesday, several members got together in Brattleboro to wrestle with an important question: How can the panel find a way to offer advice on controversial issues involving the cleanup of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant? [...]
State sues federal regulators over Vermont Yankee trust fund
Erin Mansfield | VTDigger | August 17, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] Vermont alleges that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission abused its power, broke three federal laws and “acted arbitrarily” when it decided in June to give the owner of Vermont Yankee legal exemptions on how it uses a $665 million fund created from ratepayer money. [...]
NRC approves step toward eliminating emergency protection requirements at Vermont Yankee
Robert Audette | Brattleboro Reformer | August 5, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger (reposted)
[...] Because there is no longer an active reactor on site, the NRC allows Entergy to apply for exemptions to relieve it of its “formal” off-site emergency response responsibilities.
NRC regulations concerning emergency planning do not recognize the reduced risks after a reactor is permanently shut down and defueled. “As such, a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor, such as VY, must continue to maintain the same EP requirements as an operating power reactor under the existing regulatory requirements,” notes the document.
The NRC is revising its emergency preparedness regulations concerning retired reactors, but until those regulations are finalized, an owner of a reactor that has ceased operations must apply for exemptions to the rules. [...]
State Worries Feds Too Lax On Yankee Oversight
John Dillon | VT Public Radio | July 27, 2015
Listen and read at VPR
[...] As head of the non-profit Nuclear Information and Research Service, Tim Judson has closely observed the industry as it wrangles with regulators around the country. He's also watched Vermont's efforts to push the federal NRC bureaucracy. And he says Vermont is taking the lead that other states may follow.
“We see Vermont as really being on the cutting edge of ensuring the best possible outcome under the circumstances because the state took a proactive approach toward negotiating with Entergy about what decommissioning is going to be like,” he says. [...]
Vermont Yankee: Three parties granted motion to intervene
Robert Audette | Brattleboro Reformer | July 9, 2015
Read in full at the Brattleboro Reformer
The Vermont Public Service Board granted motions by the town of Vernon, the Windham Regional Commission and the New England Coalition to intervene in hearings concerning Entergy's request to construct a new spent fuel storage area at its shuttered nuclear power plant in Vernon.
Both Vernon and Windham Regional Commission were granted intervenor status because they had demonstrated "a substantial interest in the proceeding as it relates to the orderly development of the region." [...]
VT official: Vermont Yankee trust fund process is 'broken'
Michael Faher | Brattleboro Reformer | June 26, 2015
Read in full at the Brattleboro Reformer
Chris Recchia is not happy.
The commissioner of Vermont's Public Service Department made that clear Thursday night at a meeting in Brattleboro, where he repeatedly criticized the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its decisions regarding the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.
Specifically, Recchia and other state officials say they are deeply concerned about how, when and for what purposes plant owner Entergy will be allowed to withdraw cash from Vermont Yankee's decommissioning trust fund. [...]
NRC says Entergy can use decommissioning fund to store spent fuel
Erin Mansfield | VTDigger | June 18, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted requests from Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc. to use some of the $665 million in its decommissioning fund to store used fuel rods that remain radioactive for thousands of years.
Thursday’s decision from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will allow Entergy to use about $225 million to manage spent fuel — only after it uses up about $143 million from a line of credit.
The decision also allows Entergy to take money out of the decommissioning fund without asking the NRC for permission. Without the exemption, the company would have had to give 30 days’ notice of its intent to withdraw from the fund. [...]
Vermont Yankee fuel storage debated
Michael Faher | Brattleboro Reformer | May 29, 2015
Read in full at the Brattleboro Reformer
Five months after the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant stopped producing power, debate about the site's future has turned to a 76-foot-by-93-foot concrete slab that doesn't yet exist.
That pad eventually will host dry casks containing some of the Vernon plant's spent nuclear fuel. But the pad's location, security and cost have become matters of intense scrutiny that only will increase as state officials consider granting permission for its construction. [...]
Radioactive and Short on Cash to Pay for Closures
Isaac Arnsdorf | Bloomberg News | May 3, 2015
Read in full at Bloomberg
At the edge of Humboldt Bay in northern California lies a relic from the heyday of U.S. nuclear power.
The reactor was shut down in 1976. The remaining cost to decommission the plant once and for all -– cleaning up lingering radiological dangers, dismantling the remains -- will be about $441 million, according to its owner, PG&E Corp.
The question is who will pay -- for Humboldt Bay, and for dozens of other reactors that are in the process of closing or might soon. Nuclear operators like PG&E are supposed to lay up enough money to cover the costs, similar to how corporations fund pensions. Turns out, most haven’t. [...]
Sens. Markey, Boxer and Sanders call for increased safety at nuclear plants
Press Release | April 16, 2015
Posted at VTDigger
[...] Washington (April 15, 2015) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reintroduced three bills today aimed at improving the safety and security of decommissioning reactors and the storage of spent nuclear fuel at nuclear plants across the nation. [...]
CCTV airs 'The Impact of the Nuclear Age on Earth' with Les Kanat
Press Release | CCTV | March 23, 2015
Posted at VTDigger
[...] *WATCH ON TV : * You can watch this program on Channel 17/ Town Meeting Television, on Comcast Cable and Burlington Telecom at the following times:
1 Monday March 23, 6:00 PM
2 Wednesday April 1, 2:00 PM
3 Saturday April 4, 3:00 PM
4 Sunday April 5, 7:00 PM
5 Thursday April 9, 4:30 PM
*WATCH ONLINE : * You may watch the program on-line by clicking here:
https://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/impact-nuclear-age-earth-les-kanat-phd [...]
State concerned about future contamination at Vermont Yankee
John Herrick | VTDigger | March 12, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
On Jan. 29, a security guard at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant sat on a radioactive contaminant located on the stairwell in the reactor building. When the problem was discovered, his pants were removed and shipped to Texas for low-level radioactive waste disposal. The state was not notified of the incident, but Entergy says it was included in a daily report to the state.
“It’s not the best way for us to be in the know about things,” said Bill Irwin, chief of Vermont’s radiological health program. “But we have asked Entergy when incidents are of this nature, to let us know.”
The incident points up broader concerns the state has about how much radiological contamination is present at the Vermont Yankee site, which shut down last year after 42 years of operation. The Vermont Department of Health says Entergy has not given the state enough information to ensure there is no risk to public health and safety, among other concerns. [...]
Vt. joins call: Probe Entergy finances
Susan Smallheer | Barre-Montpelier Times Argus | March 5, 2015
Read in full at the Times Argus
[...] Deb Katz, a spokesman for the Citizens Awareness Network, said her organization had been urging Vermont state officials to join her group’s request of the NRC to launch a thorough investigation of Entergy’s ability to decommission Vermont Yankee, as well as continue to operate its Pilgrim nuclear plant south of Boston and the FitzPatrick reactor in upstate New York, since it filed the petition in March 2013.
Katz said that the so-called 2.206 petition had been filed after news of the troubled finances of Entergy’s merchant nuclear reactors became public. [...]
Vermont seeks details on Entergy's finances
John Herrick | VTDigger | March 1, 2015
Read in full at VTDigger
[...] “I’ve been concerned for quite some time what they want to use the decommissioning trust fund for given the fact that they say they are not going to put any more money into the fund,” said Attorney General Bill Sorrell. “I think there are very few Vermonters who want the decommissioning process to be unduly long.” [...]
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Vernon’s power production future debated
