In yesterday’s Brattleboro Reformer, there was this gem:
According to the PSB, the false testimony by Entergy witnesses was sufficiently damaging enough to merit sanctions. The New Orleans-based company, which operates the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in Vernon, will have to reimburse costs to the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, the New England Coalition and the Windham Regional Commission attorney fees and other legal costs related to the plant’s misrepresentations about whether it had underground pipes carrying radioactive materials.
I don’t expect this to carry a whole lot of teeth. The PSB’s interest in actually enforcing anything related to VY is relatively timid. This seems to me to be more of a political distancing move than anything else, like politicians who have been in the pocket of big oil for decades suddenly saying “you know, maybe we should encourage these companies to be a little more responsible” a month after a catastrophic oil spill.
But still, it’s nice to see the PSB at least pretending to give a damn about truth and accuracy. Took them long enough, but still…
Three things important from this PSB ruling:
1. The PSB found, on its own, without waiting for the Attorney General’s investigation, that Entergy Nuclear did not testify fully and honestly.
2. Because of that, additional testimony and discovery will have to be taken about underground piping, leaks, cleanup costs, and anything else relevant uncovered since testimony ended!
3. Entergy will have to pay the legal fees for the intervenors, from January forward, for work caused by Entergy’s false and misleading testimony. This means that VPIRG, NEC, and the Windham Regional Commission will not be hampered by lack of funds to pursue the issue.
Quick link to the PSB order, via vtdigger:
http://vtdigger.org/files/2010…
More leaks, seems to be a weekly leakly thing now:
http://sentinelsource.com/arti…