Vermont Senate Votes to Close Nuclear Plant

[ctenidae]

Nukes are a good idea. Best solution (though not complete) to waste is reprocessing (only recently legalized). Renewables are good, but mostly can't provide baseload. In the end, natural gas will be the key, at least until useable storage for renewables is available.

 

[Glenn]

It's too bad they shut it down. I think the plant employeed about 600 ppl? It's been a long long long time since another nuclear power plant came online.

I think the leak coverup probably did them in. From what I've read, the leak wasn't really a hazzard due to what actually leaked. But it's all in how it's reported and interpreted.

Hopefully, this won't drive up the price of electricity in VT. Given how the economy is, people probably don't want another bill increase. Maybe things will be different when the plant goes offline in 2012.

FWIW, our place is in the "danger zone" or whatever they call it when the you know what hits the fan. I personally never had an issue with that.

 

[tree_skier]

It's not closed yet. a couple of issues. The VT senate created a bill that they say gives them the right to close VY. Expect a federal court battle over the constitutionalality of that bill. If it is determined that it is legal for the VT senate to close VY expect an eminant domain suit so the good taxpayers of VT will end up buying the plant and then shouldering the cost of decommisioning it.

 

[Glenn]

It's not closed yet. a couple of issues. The VT senate created a bill that they say gives them the right to close VY. Expect a federal court battle over the constitutionalality of that bill. If it is determined that it is legal for the VT senate to close VY expect an eminant domain suit so the good taxpayers of VT will end up buying the plant and then shouldering the cost of decommisioning it.

Some good points! I thought the Nuclear Regulatory Comission would have to have a say in this?

Regardless, this is probably just the first chapter in a long story.

 

[Euler]

...
FWIW, our place is in the "danger zone" or whatever they call it when the you know what hits the fan. I personally never had an issue with that.

Easy to say about a ski house, harder for parents of kids attending the elementary school across the street from the plant where the drinking water comes from a well. Similarly frightening for anyone who lives close by and uses a well.

While the substances that we now know have leaked are "relatively innocuous", the fact is that there is no reason to trust that Entergy will operate the plant according to accepted best practices, and in fact there is good reason to dis-trust the company.

While the loss of jobs will be a personal tragedy to all of those affected it is a short term loss that is vastly different from the widespread, long lasting health and environmental tragedy that would arise from a bad accident at that plant.

It's not closed yet. a couple of issues. The VT senate created a bill that they say gives them the right to close VY. Expect a federal court battle over the constitutionalality of that bill. If it is determined that it is legal for the VT senate to close VY expect an eminant domain suit so the good taxpayers of VT will end up buying the plant and then shouldering the cost of decommisioning it.

My understanding is that rather than voting to close the plant, what the Senate did was to vote against approving the plant's "Certificate of Public Good", an act that will prevent the plant from extending its current license to operate past 2012. So, it's not that out of the blue the Senate pulled the rug out from the plant owners, but rather that in the process of renewing/extending the plant's license, it became apparent that Entergy could not be entrusted with the "public good."

 

[tree_skier]

My understanding is that rather than voting to close the plant, what the Senate did was to vote against approving the plant's "Certificate of Public Good", an act that will prevent the plant from extending its current license to operate past 2012. So, it's not that out of the blue the Senate pulled the rug out from the plant owners, but rather that in the process of renewing/extending the plant's license, it became apparent that Entergy could not be entrusted with the "public good."

Okay so I used the press's term of closing instead of "cerificate of public good". The point being is that the VT senate voted itself this ability. Vt is the only state that has this "law". Now we all know that just because a legislature passes a law doesn't make that law constitutional. Seeing how this will be the first (and probably the last, due to the enormous cost VT will incure) time a legislature blocks a renewal of license there hasn't been any prior legal claims but it doesn't take a rocket scientest to see that when the state takes your business they must compensate you for it and also by taking it, it is then thiers and they are responsible for it.