op-ed by Hattie Nestel 2/29/08

The Recorder ran an important AP article on February 19 regarding the oversight process of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding a twenty-year license extension for the Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim nuclear power stations in Vernon, Vermont and Plymouth, Massachusetts respectively. Because nuclear power plants represent a great danger to our region, I wish this article had been published on Page 1 instead of Page 6.

The article covers the Patrick administrations' first official position regarding relicensing of both Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim. At stake are another twenty years of nuclear danger to our communities and the federal tax dollars that are diverted to nuclear power from truly safe, renewable energies that we desperately need.

The article refers to a critical audit regarding pending license renewals of nuclear power plants by the Office of Inspector General, OIG, of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC. As noted in The Recorder, “in many cases the NRC staff members charged with reviewing license application renewals, 'did not describe any review methodology for operating experience or provide any specific support for the staff's conclusions' that the plants were safe to continue operating” according to the OIG audit. Although this is quite a mouthful, the audit goes into many other aspects of the NRC license renewal process that are equally irresponsible and disturbing. Considering that both Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim are already more than 35 years old, and have had numerous and extensive mishaps, shoddy federal and state oversight is inexcusable.

The Recorder notes that Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles and Public Safety Secretary Kevin Burke called on the NRC to “revamp its license renewal process before considering new renewal applications.” In a letter to the NRC they state “given the importance of the safety review associated with nuclear plant relicensing, these conclusions, (in the audit) are disturbing, to say the least.”

In a separate letter to the NRC, Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Environmental Protection Division James Milkey--on behalf of Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Attorney General-- writes that the “report states that relicensing decisions fail to document that NRC staff is providing the intensive, independent review of industry submittals that the public both expects and relies on for its protection. NRC should address concerns raised by the OIG's report before issuing any final approvals for either Pilgrim or Vermont Yankee.” In a recent press release, Coakley said the OIG's report raises questions “about the extent to which NRC staff provides independent scrutiny of industry applications for the relicensing of nuclear power plants.” (The Attorney General's Office has a pending appeal in the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.)

I have read the OIG audit, less than fifty pages in simple, non-scientific language. The audit is available on the NRC website. (#OIG-07-A-15 ) If you read the audit you will agree that it is an understatement to say the NRC process is flawed. It is close to nonexistent! Vermont's Governor Jim Douglas, the Vermont Department of Public Service, and anti-nuclear groups from Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey have all joined in asking the NRC to put a hold on the relicensing review of Vermont Yankee and the other nuclear companies in the four states. A petition has been initiated by the Eastern Environmental Law Center at Rutgers University in New Jersey faulting the NRC staff for a “cut and paste” approach to writing licenses for aging nuclear reactors.

Despite the OIG report, the NRC concluded on February 27, that Entergy Nuclear, Vermont Yankee's corporate owner, has fulfilled the requirements for relicensing.

It is important to realize that there are many more meetings, hearings, and court cases that will attempt to stop the relicensing of Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim, and other reactors around the country.

The Vermont state legislature has the final veto proof power to determine whether to extend Vermont Yankee's operating license will be given. We need to lobby the Patrick administration to play hardball with the NRC about shutting down both Yankee and Pilgrim when, or before, their licenses expire in 2012. Entergy needs to step up to the plate, be held accountable to remove the waste from the site, and restore the areas into a greenfield, as required under stipulations imposed by Vermont during the sale of the plant to Entergy in 2002.

Our efforts to shut down Vermont Yankee need to continue in order to make New England a safe and nuclear-free environment so our children and grandchildren can live in a radiation-free New England.

Current information on hearings and meetings can be found on the Citizen Awareness Network website: www.nukebusters.org or call 413-339-5781


Hattie Nestel
Athol, Ma. 01331
978-249-6224
Hattieshalom@verizon.net