RutlandHerald.com - We Are Vermont

Feds oversee Yankee fund



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Published: July 3, 2009

Re: the June 17 Associated Press article about the supposed lack of money to decommission American nuclear power plants, including Vermont Yankee:

This really isn't a story about nuclear power. It's about the financial markets. A year ago there was no story because the decommissioning trust funds were doing fine. Then the markets tumbled, and the conservative underlying investments in decommissioning funds also declined in value. And from this bleak vantage point, critics of nuclear power have leapt to create worst-case scenarios.

As the Vermont Legislature considers relicensing Vermont Yankee, it should bear in mind that the federal government has never allowed a nuclear power plant owner to escape responsibility for decommissioning. Not once.

If necessary, the federal government can require power plant owners to replenish the trust fund from their own resources. That is the law. The feds are the absolute boss of power plant permitting, inspection, licensing, and decommissioning, and they know it, and so do the plant owners.

DENNIS McMAHON

Burlington








READER COMMENTS


And just why is Entergy trying to form a shell corporation for the Vernon plant and a couple of their other plants? Could it be to protect their other assets from the NRC?

Wake up! There's nothing inherently wrong with nuclear power plants but this one is old and falling apart and its owners are trying to free themselves of any responsibility for dismantling it. And running the old thing at 120% of capacity while it's falling apart and its license is running out? NUTS!!!!! I guess they figure the mushroom cloud won't show up in Louisiana, huh?

Entergy has a great lobbyist in Jim Douglas but he and his cronies aren't doing anything for the people of Vermont or for the other folks of the 3-state region around the plant. This dangerous Erector set needs to be dismantled at Entergy's expense, not the people of Vermont's.
-- Posted by Notta Bushman on Fri, Jul 3, 2009, 10:50 am EST

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I ask Mr. Mcmahon, Isn't rhis the same NRC that was going to allow Entergy to use taxpayer money $219,000,000 for the wasre?
-- Posted by R. WilliamL on Fri, Jul 3, 2009, 10:33 am EST

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