Editor’s note: This story comes to vtdigger.org through a special arrangement with commonsnews.org
By Olga Peters
The Commons
Read Jaczko’s verbatim comments to the press.
BRATTLEBORO — Environmentalists leveled a relentless critique of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s handling of the problem beset Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant at a public hearing on Wednesday. NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko listened to anti-nuke groups complain about the NRC’s oversight of the plant for about 90 minutes before he held a press conference and toured the plant.
Representatives from seven organizations said NRC has failed to take action in response to significant problems at the plant, including a cooling tower collapse that occurred a few years ago, and the revelation in January that tritium was leaking from underground pipes that the owner, Entergy Corp. of Louisiana, told regulators didn’t exist. Other radioactive isotopes, including Strontium-90,
have contaminated soil at the plant.
The plant was built in 1972 in the small town of Vernon on the banks of the Connecticut River near the New Hampshire and Massachusetts borders. Entergy wants to relicense the 650-megawatt nuclear reactor for an additional 20 years. In February, the Vermont Senate opposed renewal of Entergy’s certificate of public good to continue operation of the plant beyond the scheduled shut down date in March 2012.
Deb Katz of the Citizen Awareness Network said she was “confounded” by Jaczko’s presence in Brattleboro, considering the Vermont Senate’s vote.
“We’re here because we see systemic issues at VY,” she said.
Activists asked for a plan from the NRC detailing the decommissioning process, and they wanted to know what incentive Entergy has to maintain the plant and prevent future leaks or accidents.
Sandy Levine of the Conservation Law Foundation said her organization has become “increasingly concerned” about the lack of oversight at Vermont Yankee and the NRC’s typical response: “Don’t worry, whatever Entergy is doing is fine.”
James Moore of VPIRG told Jaczko: “We need a real cop on the beat.” In Moore’s view, Entergy and the NRC have given Vermonters good reasons not to trust them.
“As far as we see, the NRC finds it [Entergy’s behavior] acceptable,” he said.
Jaczko tried to build common ground, and he called the lack of trust “unfortunate.”
The chairman explained the NRC is bound by process and therefore moves slowly. He used the recent revelation of submerged electrical cables at Vermont Yankee as example. The issue had come to Entergy’s attention after it sent out a generic letter to all nuclear plants, which was issued a year after the NRC conducted its analysis.
“It is a zero tolerance for error game here,” said Moore, adding that the NRC’s slow pace doesn’t “gel” for people.
Jaczko said the agency is taking action, but that it hasn’t communicated well enough.
“The NRC is not lackadaisical,” he said.
After the meeting, Ann Manwaring — the state representative for Wilmington, Whitingham and Halifax — said she appreciated Jaczko’s willingness to listen to the environmentalists’ comments.
She said she was concerned that they didn’t talk about decommissioning costs for the plant — she is worried taxpayers will foot the bill.
Speakers representing the Citizens Awareness Network, Safe & Green Campaign, the New England Coalition, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance, Nuclear Free Vermont by 2012, and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group had five minutes each to express their concerns.
