| This morning, I found the following piece in the Brattleboro Reformer:
The Douglas administration has long resisted public calls for an ISA of Vermont Yankee, most recently made by the state's Congressional delegation. But O'Brien indicated Tuesday night that the NRC's standard oversight process is insufficient, noting that several recent events at the plant had diminished the public's confidence in its safety and the adequacy of its oversight.
"The governor basically has asked me to work very closely with the congressional delegation to come up with an independent safety assessment that we can all be confident in -- that will answer the sort of questions that are being asked about Vermont Yankee," he said. "I think we make decisions based on the circumstances we're in and the facts we're looking at. From the governor's perspective, he's not comfortable right now, especially after the past six months -- with the cooling tower failure and the valve failure." |
| For years, we've been fighting for this independent review, and the Governor's been resisting it. This is how, even when a Republican's at the helm, a small group of people can make a serious difference.
I don't have a lot of time today, so I'll make this short, but change doesn't just happen at random. It happens through concentrated effort and serious intent.
If it hadn't been for continued pressure to keep the issues about VT Yankee in the light, this might never have happened, but activism and change are about multi-strategy approach: you keep pressure up and spread the word while waiting for the right opportunity to make use of your message.
That opportunity has come repeatedly. Per a post on Green Mountain Daily from August 2007:
in 2003, Entergy's Vermont Yankee had to shutdown as a result of a blown recirculation pump seal.
In 2003, Entergy's Vermont Yankee was fined $51,000 for withholding information from NEC and attempting to impeach an NEC witness
In 2004, Entergy's Vermont Yankee was fined %82,000 for trying to build a new "temporary" building at VY without permits
In 2005, Entergy's Vermont Yankee lost nuclear fuel
In 2006, Entergy's Vermont Yankee had a transformer fire as a result of the uprate
In 2006, Entergy's Vermont Yankee had an electrical fire in an overheated wire to a condensate pump that now was drawing extra amperage as a result of the uprate
In 2006, Entergy sent a truck containing highly contaminated nuclear equipment to Pennsylvania without noticing the contamination.
In 2007, Entergy's Vermont Yankee had more than twenty new cracks in its steam dryer as a result of the uprate
In 2007, Entergy's Vermont Yankee collapsed three cooling tower cells as a result of the uprate
Throughout the entire time period, there have been numerous failures involving emergency planning, but they are too numerous to count.
Thorough all this time, Gov. Douglas has stuck to his nuclear-power guns very strongly. Just a month ago, he was speaking an entirely different tune:
The bill would also strengthen the role of neighboring states on nuclear safety issues. It would allow, for example, the governor of New Hampshire to ask federal regulators for the independent study when the nearby Vermont Yankee seeks to extend its license for another 20 years.
But Governor Jim Douglas says he's worried about allowing other states to get involved.
[...]
Douglas says the plant has delivered inexpensive power for decades, and is a major reason Vermont electricity rates are low. He says there's a good chance that Yankee will be re-licensed for another 20 years, after its current license expires in 2012.
Think about that for a second. Our Governor -- scratch that -- our Conservative Republican Governor who's done nothing to support safety at VT Yankee during his tenure in office, has completely turned around on them.
It's amazing what a few dramatic events in close proximity can do to activate people on an event.
If it hadn't been for the dedicated work of activists for years, this existing pressure on Douglas might not have come and he might have been able to casually ignore the most recent incidents. But a series of dramatic photos, combined with Yankee's own workers being concerned about safety along with fairly constant pressure from groups opposed to the extension of VT Yankee's license make for great press, especially with an election a year away.
This is good news.
This is really good news. |
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