FairPoint on steroids
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Published: July 3, 2009
Despite the strong misgivings of many well-informed members of the public, the Public Service Board approved the FairPoint deal. We've all experienced what a great decision that was.
Many citizens' grave misgivings about extending Vermont Yankee's license echo the warning signs about FairPoint. Entergy Nuclear is an out-of-state company with no stake in Vermont's well-being. Even worse, it plans to spin off Yankee and its other aging nukes into a highly leveraged holding company with no other assets. Call it FairPoint on steroids. Can you say "bankruptcy"? And where will the money for decommissioning come from then?
There's no power deal. The kickback memorandum of understanding, touted as having a multibillion-dollar value to Vermont, looks trifling when divided, as it would be, over all customers and many years — maybe two or three bucks a month.
The plant is falling apart. There's a leak every month or so, and increased radiation at the fence line. Lest we forget, this is a nuke.
If all goes well, nobody thinks about it. If all does not — well, we'll be calling on our FairPoint lines, trying to figure out if there's a still a Vermont.
So, out-of-state corporate owner, no deal, dangerous facility (and, oh yeah, nuclear waste piling up with no place to go); what is there to like about license extension? The PSB should wipe the FairPoint egg off its face and turn this down. So should the Legislature — no ifs, ands, buts, or clever stipulations. Close Yankee in 2012, period.
JESSIE HAAS
Westminster
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