Let NRC Handle Vermont Yankee License

[Henry]

Let NRC handle Vermont Yankee license


With all of the hullabaloo that has arisen over extending Vermont Yankee's license for an additional 20 years, may I suggest a reasonable solution?

Instead of relegating responsibility for this to politicians, i.e., Vermont is the only state in the Union having this authority, why don't we have the Nuclear Regulatory Commission conduct a safety inspection of Yankee to determine what, if anything, is necessary to bring it into NRC compliance? If the NRC says it's beyond repair, then close it. Otherwise, let's get it fixed so that our electric bills won't go through the roof.

BRUCE PENDLETON
Fairfax

[DrewCrash]

Agreed.

[Chris Santee]

The NRC's John White says Vermont Yankee's problems haven't approached any regulatory threshold that would require the plant to be shut down while the source of the leak - reported Jan. 7 - is sought.

[Chris Santee]

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie Issues Statement on Accelerated State Senate Vote on Vermont Yankee Relicensing

(Montpelier, VT, February 16, 2010) -- Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie today issued the following statement concerning a call for the State Senate to hold an accelerated vote on Vermont Yankee relicensing before town meeting day:

“As I have stated before, safety must be our number one priority regarding Vermont Yankee. Period. 

“No other issue is more important than safety in this matter.  Right now, both the Attorney General and the Public Service Board are in the midst of detailed, technical investigations to answer questions about safety, as well as accountability.  These are serious issues, made all the more serious by the fact that more than 650 well paying Vermont jobs are on the line.  The facts deserve our full, eyes-wide-open attention -- not political grandstanding.  All of us who hold elected office owe it to Vermonters to put aside political theater, roll up our sleeves and get to the bottom of this issue.  One thing is clear: we cannot make a valid decision about Vermont Yankee until we know the facts.”

[Chris Santee]

I had the pleasure of having lunch with our Lt. Governor last week up at Jeff's Seafood House in St. Albans.
(We both recommend the seafood chowder).

Over chowder, we discussed VT Yankee and

1) Finding the source of the tritium.
I suggested a ripple type search expanding outward from the discovery.
He told me there was more testing/searching going on then I could imagine.

I asked about the tab (of the search, not the lunch).
He told me VT Yankee was picking up the tab.

If/when the source is found, and fixed,
we discussed

2) Relicensing for less than a 20 year period.

3) Constructing a new plant, next door to Yankee.

4) Nice Alternative (a company I incorporated in Vermont recently that is exploring alternative energy).

I cannot say wheteher he supports any of my ideas, he will do that himself soon enough.
I can say that he listened, thought and answered all he could.
That's nice.
I'll keep you posted.

[Henry]

I have absolutely no idea what Shumlin's hidden agenda is, but it is obvious he has only one thing in mind and does not want to vote with any facts.  Certainly not someone I would ever want to see as Governor of The State Of Vermont

[Chris Santee]

Please let Franklin County Senator Sara Kittell know where YOU stand.

skittell@leg.state.vt.us