EMERGENCY NEED TO ACTIVATE THE CALLING NETWORK

THIS IS AN URGENT ACTION! PLEASE, EVERYONE, MAKE THE CALLS. NUMBERS AT END OF FOLLOWING MESSAGE. Thanks, Sally

This morning the NRC gave approval for the extended power uprate (20% over boilerplate rating) for operating the Entergy Vermont Yankee reactor. As I write the Vermont Public Service Board is falling all over itself to get out its approval of the Certificate of Public Good on the uprate so that there is nothing to hold back Entergy Vermont Yankee from flipping the switch. They plan to do it starting Saturday.

In mid-December, responding to New England Coalition's letters requesting federal legislative pressure on the NRC to conduct an Independent Safety Analysis on the reactor and special testing on the steam dryer prior to implementing the extended power uprate, NRC wrote to John Olver (dem. US Rep (western) Mass), Leahy, Jeffords and Sanders saying that the NRC could not order such actions as there are adjudicatory proceedings on the uprate pending before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. To do so would abdicate the Commission's "appellate review role" on those proceedings.

Now, even with the proceedings still pending, the NRC has approved the uprate and ENVY plans to throw the switch sometime this Saturday.

One of the two New England Coalition contentions is that there should be large transient testing on main steam isolation valve closure. Once Vermont Yankee starts up, the basis for testing prior to start-up has been completely undercut and the risk has been taken with public and occupational health and safety and the human and natural environment surrounding the reactor.

We need Leahy, Jeffords, Sanders and Olver to be screaming at the Commission to halt the uprate until the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board case is over.

This is an ideal "phone in" type of action.

Please activate your network to call Leahy, Jeffords, Sanders and Olver with the following message:

Tell the NRC to halt the uprate until the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has finished adjudicating the New England Coalition's contentions on the uprate that are pending before the Board. Anything else is a complete mockery of democratic process.

Leahy: Washington (202) 224-4242 Vermont (800) 642-3193

Jeffords: Washington (202) 224-5141 Vermont (800) 835-5500

Sanders: Washington (202) 225-4115 Vermont (800) 339-9834

Olver: Washington (202) 225-5335 Franklin County (413) 532-7010