Sometimes you’ve just got to re-state the obvious. Entergy doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “no” and the NRC seems to be suffering from short-term memory loss.
In light of the Fukushima crisis, our “DC-3” (Leahy, Sanders and Welch) have issued the following joint statement:
“It is hard to understand how the NRC could move forward with a license extension for Vermont Yankee at exactly the same time as a nuclear reactor of similar design is in partial meltdown in Japan. We believe that Entergy should respect and abide by Vermont’s laws and the MOU signed with the state in 2002, which require approval by the Vermont Legislature, and then the Vermont Public Service Board, for the plant to continue to operate beyond 2012.”
Our thoughts exactly.
NRC Logic: VT Yankee is completely different than Fukushima Daiichi.
Our control room is labelled in English and theirs is Japanese!
Our plant is on a river, not an ocean.
Our plant is on an inactive fault line, not an active one.
Entergy says our plant is perfectly safe, TEPCO says … oops, forget that one.
Our plant can’t possible go worng!
I was heartened to read that the NRC has sent some experts to Japan. Their wisdom and expertise will come in handy. As will their practiced use of the phrase “no current threat to public health or safety.”
They might be able to teach the Japanese a thing or two about Friday afternoon press releases, too.
Every commissioner and employee of the NRC, in order to keep their jobs, should live within 3 miles (preferably downwind) of an operating nuclear plant. My guess is that safety modifications might be taken just a tad more seriously. And decommissioning…
It might arguably have reassured doubting Vermonters who may be on the fence (there are some I think) about nuclear power if any hint of legitimate introspection had been shown by the NRC after the Fukushima meltdown or AKA partial meltdown.
But when all is said and done was there anyone who ever thought the NRC would say anything but yes ,yes ,yes ?
VY needs to be shut down in 2012. But it look like Entergy will keep operating, claiming that Vermont has no jurisdiction. Is there any way for the state to sue them now, in advance, rather than waiting for them to thumb their noses at us? There’s probably a lawsuit coming in any case.
VY needs to be shut down in 2012. But it look like Entergy will keep operating, claiming that Vermont has no jurisdiction. Is there any way for the state to sue them now, in advance, rather than waiting for them to thumb their noses at us? There’s probably a lawsuit coming in any case.