(Continuing the policy of promoting diaries from officeholders and officeseekers. – promoted by JDRyan)

Three years ago, I called for an orderly and planned decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant when its license is set to expire in 2012.  

I reiterated my position in 2009 due to renewed concern over actions taken by Entergy Nuclear — Vermont Yankee’s out-of-state parent company — including a failure to fulfill their commitment to the decommissioning fund and an attempt to spin off the facility into a shell corporation.

Given the recent revelations that Entergy executives misled Vermont’s Public Service Department about the existence of underground piping that may be a source of leaked radioactive material, I am unclear what further evidence is necessary to convince elected officials that the plant should be closed as planned.

Honesty and transparency are absolutely critical when partnering on an issue as serious as nuclear energy, and Entergy has failed to meet the standards Vermonters expect.

While the Douglas administration has finally made statements of “outrage” about Entergy’s conduct, that is not enough.  

Outrage without action is meaningless.

Financial penalties are also not enough.  While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should hold Vermont Yankee accountable for any violations, the prospect of fines are likely to have minimal effect on the future behavior of a company that already does not meet its financial obligations.

I hope Vermont’s elected officials who have defended Entergy in the past, including Lieutanant Governor Brian Dubie, will reconsider their support for this aging facility run by an out-of-state company that has failed to earn the trust of Vermonters.  

The time for the Vermont legislature to clarify that Vermont Yankee should be decommissioned as scheduled is now.

Taking action now will give us time to negotiate a new energy contract, help workers transition to new jobs, and hopefully provide time to develop in-state renewable resources, including industrial scale biomass that could actually use the same electrical infrastructure around the Vermont Yankee facility, providing green collar jobs in Southern Vermont.

Now is the time for action.

~ Matt Dunne