This article is by the staff at the Brattleboro Reformer, in which it was first published Oct. 13, 2014.
MONTPELIER — On Oct. 13, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources issued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System thermal discharge permit for Vermont Yankee in Vernon.
ANR, acting on Vermont Yankee’s Sept. 30, 2005, application, permitted Vermont Yankee’s thermal discharge through Dec. 31, 2015. The two-year permit properly addresses the discharge from the facility while it is generating power, allows the company time to establish a post-closure operation regime, and allows ANR time to evaluate and permit the facility’s post-closure discharge.
“In issuing this permit, the agency’s responsibility to address Vermont Yankee’s thermal discharge has been met,” said Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz.
The Clean Water Act requires that Vermont Yankee’s thermal discharge meet water quality standards. Vermont Yankee was granted a variance to these standards in their expired permit. The company requested that same variance in the current permit, which was denied by the Agency. Instead, ANR granted a variance that put in place more stringent seasonal temperature limits, in order to better protect water quality in the river.
“We appreciated the feedback we received from Vermont Yankee, Connecticut River Watershed Council, Vermont Law School, Vermont Natural Resources Council, and interested members of the public on Vermont Yankee’s draft thermal discharge permit,” said Markowitz.
On Dec. 23, 2013, the Shumlin Administration signed a memorandum of understanding with Vermont Yankee that settled the issues surrounding the company’s request for a certificate of public good from the Public Service Board to operate until Dec. 31, 2014. The MOU provides that “VY shall operate the VY Station in accordance with its existing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. Entergy VY and ANR agree to continue to pursue issues related to Entergy VY’s thermal discharge through ANR’s NPDES permitting process, in accordance with state and federal law.”
The PSB issued a CPG to Entergy on March 28, 2014. ANR issued a draft NPDES permit on July 3, 2014, which was finalized today after reviewing public comments.
The NPDES permit and Responsiveness Summary for Vermont Yankee is available here.
