While Entergy fights Vermont in the federal courts, few who follow the issue think the rulings will close Vermont Yankee as scheduled in March. This highly litigious Louisiana corporation is compensating its CEO more than $100 million over five years to protect their profits despite promises they made and our Senate’s 26-4 vote.

For eight years, the Douglas administration and Entergy enjoyed a cozy relationship. But testimony before the Public Service Board, the Legislature, ANR, VSNAP, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ultimately showed a company willing to say almost anything to get an uprate and continue operating.

The GE, Mark 1 boiling water reactors spewing radiation from Fukushima are just like those at Yankee. Even before completion the NRC was warned they were subject to explosion. Safety concerns over ongoing leaks, unrealistic evacuation plans, power uprate stress, aging plant fatigue, vulnerable geophysical locations, inadequate terror protections and no nuclear waste repository are all repeatedly minimized by the feds.

Entergy’s leaking plant, with its deficient decommissioning fund, deferred maintenance, exodus of key, experienced personnel and dividend-driven management is not our only problem. Federal preemption over all nuclear safety, political wrangling and perhaps a flawed scientific premise leave us with over 72,000 metric tons of relatively unprotected, toxic radionuclides spread all over. Even if Yucca Mountain were opened, it would be overflowing. The pressure to find a dump site east of the Mississippi is intense and granite deposits like ours are being considered.

While the Shumlin administration, New England Coalition, Conservation Law Foundation, Connecticut River Watershed Council and others fight to protect Vermont’s environment and determine our own energy future, it’s not time to assume the plant is closing soon.

Please support their efforts and tell legislators how important it is to oppose this aggressive company.

Michael Granger

Newfane