Not to eat up unnecessary front page space, but does it occur to anyone else that in Governor Douglas’s constant defense of Vermont Yankee in terms of “safety” isn’t an attempt to bait legislators (and lobbyists) into an explicit discussion on the plant’s safety – the one criterion that they are explicitly prohibited from basing a decision on?
Think maybe he’s trying to help his corporate pals at Entergy build a public record to support their inevitable lawsuit against the State of Vermont when relicensing is rejected?
in that the suspected leak into the river is really pollution in the same way a failed septic system pollutes, and the overall issue of what is doing the polluting can be skirted somewhat?? It makes no sense that a state can tell me I can’t pee in the river, but if I am peeing something regulated by NRC they can’t have an opinion or enforcement ability.
I know the whole thing is pretty clear cut, but IF we had a state govt that was working in the public interest (VY, BT, workforce reduction, etc) there should be some pretty heavy issues that may make continued use of the plant a big PITA for Entergy and they may just take their tax break and go home. The biggest downside to the whole thing is not that they want to run it, but that they want to transfer it…. That is a big liability to absorb…You dont hear Spaulding chirping about that do you?? To absorbed with cutting the low paid employees out of retirement and health benefits..
Did I digress??? Sorry
The NRC’s job as a regulator is to prevent the nuclear industry from anyone that would regulate it.
Therefore it is perfectly alright for VY to pump tritium directly into the CT river.
Yes, Douglas is baiting the legislature, as his job is to protect Entergy from their own malfeasance. If any one legislature uses the word ‘safety’ during the hearings, even while they are on break and playing tag, that will be sufficient cause for the NRC to declare the entire proceedings as illegal.
It doesn’t actually matter what the Senate vote is, the NRC will run roughshod over the will of the people of Vermont anyway. Who is going to stop them, Obama?