Voices of Fukushima to commemorate 2-year anniversary of disaster

by Press Release | March 5, 2013

NEWS RELEASE – VOICES OF FUKUSHIMA

March 4, 2013

Contact:

Leslie Sullivan Sachs contact@sagealliance.net

Details: www.safeandgreencampaign.org/action-center/voices-of-fukushima

As the heartbreaking stories of the victims and evacuees surface, the SAGE Alliance is coordinating a three-day series of events to honor the people and acknowledge the horrific Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear facility explosion that began on March 11, 2011. Citizens are determined to make sure a similar disaster does not happen in New

England. “Voices of Fukushima,” three days of events, are being coordinated by the SAGE Alliance, a collective of citizen groups organizing to close Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee through nonviolent direct action.

Soon after the disasters on March 11, 2011 a solemn vigil of 600 people gathered at Vermont Yankee in solidary with the people of Japan. Last year, hundreds of residents walked six miles in a mock evacuation from Vermont Yankee to Brattleboro, to honor the Fukushima evacuees. This year, a solemn vigil at the gates of Entergy Vermont Yankee (546 Governor Hunt Rd, Vernon, VT) will take place on Sunday March 10th from 11am-Noon.

In addition, we are taking to our own town greens, farmers markets, and street corners to say: “We are the voices of Fukushima. Fukushimna ghost towns could be our ghost towns.” Six towns are adopting a Fukushima sister city for a day and will share the evacuation stories that are being suppressed by the US media. Putney and Brattleboro, VT, Hanover, NH, Amherst, Greenfield, and Wendell, MA will honor towns like their own in Fukushima’s exclusion zone.

Press release includes some stories and additional info-too much to post here. Sorry this is so late, it dropped off the PR list @ VTDigger & I forgot. Still activities for Monday though.

http://vtdigger.org/2013/03/05…

Safe & Green:

http://www.safeandgreencampaig…

More:

( – promoted by Sue Prent)

…Happy Hanukkah & Seasons Greetings everyone!

It’s just not Xmas without Cheech & Chong…

Cheech & Chong ~ Santa Claus And His Old Lady

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

(The whole thing is worth a read: very forthright and thorough in its denunciation of Wilton’s campaign. Also published today in the Times Argus.   – promoted by jvwalt)

I was a little surprised the Herald would come out so strongly for Pearce & against Wilton. Being legacy news, thought perhaps they wouldn’t want to irk the local readers or golfing buddies. Apparently Windy is well known in Rutland – perhaps too well. From Times Argus-Herald site is buggy today:

Pearce for treasurer

October 30,2012

Beth Pearce, the incumbent state treasurer, has demonstrated a high level of professionalism and skill owing to long experience in public finance. She deserves election next week.

By contrast, her Republican challenger, Wendy Wilton, has turned the treasurer’s race into a spectacle of partisan belligerence and bogus attacks. Unlike any other candidate running for state office this year, Wilton has dragged politics into the gutter.

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

During the ’08 election McCain & his crazy train succeeeded in scaring the bejezus out of me. I was astonished that a clueless hick like Palin

especially with all of the baggage she carried could make it that far. Gidget a banana peel away fom the highest office in the land? Do the operatives have a brain in their collective head? No!

For the first time in my life I sent campaign donations & took to the online battlefront.

I became unimpressed with Obama during his presidency & actually supported Paul.

Then came the lackluster roster of weirdos in the primary. Aaahhh! Then Romney emerges as the heir apparent. Nooo! He really really scares the bejezus out of me.

I ran back to Obama. He’s the only game in town, the only adult in the room & the only sane voice crying in the wilderness of insanity. Everyone I know is freaking over Romney-Ryan regime.

Anyone see this? A timely warning:

(Bumped. Guest book available on the link to leave your thoughts and remembrances.   – promoted by kestrel9000)

Obituary Julie Waters

Power Reactor Status Report for April 10, 2012

Vermont Yankee 32

April 9, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 8, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 7, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 6, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 5, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 4, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 3, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 2, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

April 1, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

March 31, 2012

Vermont Yankee 99

March 30, 2012

Vermont Yankee 67

March 29, 2012

Vermont Yankee 33

March 28, 2012

Vermont Yankee 31

March 27, 2012

Vermont Yankee 31

March 26, 2012

Vermont Yankee 94

March 25, 2012

Vermont Yankee 94

March 24, 2012

Vermont Yankee 93

March 23, 2012

Vermont Yankee 96

March 22, 2012

Vermont Yankee 98

March 21, 2012

Vermont Yankee 100

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/…

More:

My my. Appears that shortly prior to the scheduled closing date & VY’s big 40, going forward VT’s lone reactor has been on a seemingly wild rollercoaster ride as power has been up & down, but no news updates such as the progress of the laborious process of scraping the glue off of the thinning condenser tubes which were bubblegummed with glue, er, ‘epoxy’ to prevent leakage, or whatever the trained professionals are doing, that I have seen since the initial problem was reported:

Problems With Yankee’s Condenser Resurface

Thursday, 03/15/12

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail…

The latest trouble at the troubled plant (that we know of), the condenser, a main component the size of a three-story sized house filled with pipes has been behaving poorly, much like its owner Entergy Louisiana. After pipes were coated with the epoxy, some diffuculties with the condenser resurfaced & power was reduced [emphasis added]:

(Smith) We’re seeing a loss of efficiency in our condenser. It’s due to what’s called air in leakage. It’s air that’s getting into the whole condenser system which shouldn’t be there[..]Meanwhile, Yankee is still trying to figure out what’s wrong with the condenser. The NRC says a leading theory is that epoxy coating used to control leaks may be reducing the ability of condenser tubes to convert steam back to water.”

From 100% to 31%, back to full power, now down to 32%. What a present. Happy 40th VY.

*partial crosspost

(Thank you to Stardust for bringing this important development to our immediate attention!  I just created a “fold” to fit it better on our front page.   – promoted by Sue Prent)

Apparently this took place yesterday, however each morning & periodically as time permits I conduct a search for VY news & this just came up today from all media outlets, I have not seen it anywhere in print. I have todays Herald & Reformer print version.

Anticipated decision on how to proceed eith VY CPG has been made by PSB, however most VY watchers I’m sure are unsurprised.

Fom the AP report:

“This past January, U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha ruled that the Legislature had overstepped its bounds and put the case back before the Public Service Board.[..]Vermont Yankee owner Entergy Nuclear, based in New Orleans, had asked that the board issue a decision based on the existing record, but other parties objected.

On Thursday, the board ruled against Entergy, saying it needed to start its review over. The decision was reported in Friday’s Brattleboro Reformer.”

http://www.boston.com/news/loc…

Brattleboro Reformer:

Board orders new start for Yankee hearings, denies Entergy’s request for certificate

By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staffreformer.com

Posted:   03/29/2012 10:33:31 PM EDT March 30, 2012 2:33 AM GMT Updated:   03/29/2012 10:33:41 PM EDT

BRATTLEBORO – On Thursday afternoon, the Public Service Board issued an order to start over from scratch in collecting evidence to determine whether Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should be allowed to continue to operate.

http://www.reformer.com/latest…

AP:

Vt. regulators: Start over on Yankee nuke review

March 30, 2012

http://www.boston.com/news/loc…

VPR:

PSB Orders New Case In Vermont Yankee Relicensing Request

Friday, 03/30/12 12:04pm

Ross Sneyd

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail…

WCAX:

PSB restart on Vt. Yankee hearings

Posted: Mar 30, 2012 11:40 AM EDT

Updated: Mar 30, 2012 11:40 AM EDT

By WCAX News

http://www.wcax.com/story/1729…

And there’s this. Looks like Obama also gets an earful from Vermonters engaged in the democratic process:

Protesters put out call ahead of President’s visit

Occupy Vermont plans protest near UVM

UPDATED 2:12 PM EDT Mar 30, 2012

David Delmond, who organizes protests against the continued operation of nuclear plant Vermont Yankee, went door-to-door Thursday encouraging people in Burlington to join the protest.

http://www.wptz.com/news/vermo…  

Posted on VTDigger:

At Senate hearing, Sanders questions NRC about continued operation of Vermont Yankee.

Senators Assess U.S. Nuclear Safety

One Year After Fukushima

WASHINGTON, March 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today questioned why federal regulators extended the operating license for the aging Vermont Yankee nuclear plant within days of a disastrous meltdown at a similar plant in Fukushima, Japan.

Marking the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Senate committee that oversees the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a hearing on the slow pace of efforts to strengthen safety at U.S. nuclear plants in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

More:

http://vtdigger.org/2012/03/16…

( – promoted by JulieWaters)

I’m beginning to feel like a slack-jawed teen from all of this smirking (emphasis added):

Entergy asks court for OK to continue operating Vermont Yankee, as it waits for license approval from Public Service Board

by Alan Panebaker | March 16, 2012

http://vtdigger.org/2012/03/16…

Entergy again asks judge to prevent state from shutting down VY

By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staffreformer.com

Updated:   03/15/2012 05:46:54 PM EDT

BRATTLEBORO-“In documents filed in federal district court in Brattleboro on March 14, Entergy again asked a judge to issue an order forbidding the Vermont Public Service Board from shutting down Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.”

http://www.reformer.com/localn…

“Again”? Yep. My my, seems to be a tone of desperation coming from the ivory towers at Entergy Louisiana corporate, amongst the piles of emptied champagne bottles still waiting to be carted out to make room for more.

Oh, puleeze! Pretty, pretty pleeze…don’t shut our nuclear waste-leaking dirty bomb down!

Double whammy:

“At the same time[..]submitted a request to the PSB that it go along with a conclusion reached by both the Vermont Attorney General and the Vermont Department of Public Service that under state statutes Yankee can continue to operate while Entergy’s application for a certificate for public good for continued operation is pending.”

Appears AG & a few others jumped the gun:

“In hearings held earlier this week, members of the PSB stated they don’t necessarily agree with the AG’s conclusion.”

No problem, they might just have to defy the State of VT:

“The PSB thus raised the very specter this Court sought clearly to avoid in its Decision: namely, that Vermont would require VY to cease operation on March 21, 2012, causing the shutdown of VY…” wrote Entergy’s attorneys in the documents filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont. “If Federal District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha doesn’t grant Entergy’s request by March 21, when the current CPG expires, Entergy will be forced to either cease operations “or to operate in defiance of the PSB’s opinion,” they wrote.

So, they really think Judge Murtha was merely trying to prevent VT from shuttering VY? I thought he ruled primarily that the legislature could not inject itself into decisions solely within the purview of the NRC, namely safety. However preserving the role of the PSB for consideration of the CPG. Looks like they expected a mere NRC-like rubberstamp before the photo-op. I’m surprised they didn’t include the PR & photo team which may lose jobs along w/the “More than 600 plant employees.”

More frantic freaking:

“Entergy is also asking for all the parties to meet with Murtha on Monday “because of the urgent circumstances created by the rapidly approaching (deadline), together with the (PSB’s) continued questioning of Vermont Yankee’s ability to operate past (March 21) …”

Monday? Wow, that’s two days hence. Quite alot to ask, they basically said ‘It needs to be done NOW.

Hopefully they’ll be told to suck this one up too.

PSB chair sure doesn’t seem to be cottoning to these criminals or their thuggish legal team:

“Any (CPG) issued by the Board shall limit the cumulative total amount of spent fuel stored at Vermont Yankee to the amount derived in the operation of the facility up to but not beyond March 21, 2012,”said Chairman James Volz, reading from the statute.

“That language was not struck by the (federal) Court,” added Voltz.

The Public Service Board took the arguments under advisement and the parties have until Friday, March 16, to file supporting documents.

Stay tuned!

No reason to add any additional info, but cautiously optomistic here!

Entergy to PSB: Don’t shut us down

by Alan Panebaker | March 9, 2012

Skeptical Entergy attorneys asked the Vermont Public Service Board Friday for assurance that they could continue operating Vermont Yankee after March 21 when its license expires.

An equally skeptical board peppered the company with questions.

More:

http://vtdigger.org/2012/03/09…