Some day the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant will be closed and decommissioned. Why not now?

Why not now while the price of electricity from other suppliers is at historic lows.

Why not now while Vermonters have overwhelmingly expressed their preference — in Department of Public Service polls — for replacing Vermont Yankee's nuclear energy with renewable, local resources (solar, wind, small hydro, and biomass).

Why not now when Vermont's political leaders are increasingly demonstrating the political will to face this critical issue.

Why not now — before leaking radioactive mishaps become disasters, increasing the health risks for New Englanders and vastly increasing the costs of decommissioning the plant.

Why not now before the current out-of-state owners take all the profits and leave us with the liabilities.

Why not now when the misstatements of Entergy's corporate executives have shown their lack of respect for Vermont's regulators and protective laws.

Now is the time and we need all our legislators — Republicans, Democrats, Progressives and independents — to do the responsible thing and vote against the continued operation of this aging, unsafe, and unreliable plant.

Denis Rydjeski

Vermont state coordinator

Republicans for Environmental Protection