{"id":377081,"date":"2010-03-01T17:39:18","date_gmt":"2010-03-01T22:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.szone.us\/f95\/vermont-yanks-rug-out-under-its-nuclear-future-40166\/"},"modified":"2010-03-01T17:39:18","modified_gmt":"2010-03-01T22:39:18","slug":"vermont-yanks-the-rug-out-from-under-its-nuclear-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/377081","title":{"rendered":"Vermont Yanks the Rug Out From Under its Nuclear Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
On 03.01.10 02:28 PM posted by Jeff Witt<\/p>\n

\n<ahref="http:\/\/blog.heritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/nuclear_power_cooling_tower.jpg">\"\"<\/p>In a highly publicized decision last week, the Vermont Senate <ahref="http:\/\/www.burlingtonfreepress.com\/article\/20100225\/NEWS03\/100224051\/-1\/TOPICS0202\/Senate-pulls-plug-on-Vermont-Yankee">voted to potentially close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, the state\u0092s only nuclear plant. *The non-binding vote marked the culmination of a year-long debate in Vermont as to whether the state should renew the operating license of Vermont Yankee, a 37-year old plant that is seeking a 20-year operating extension.* Unfortunately, this decision was more about perception than fact.<\/p>\n

The tide had been turning against Vermont Yankee as news emerged that the plant had been leaking <ahref="http:\/\/www.nrc.gov\/reactors\/operating\/ops-experience\/tritium\/rn-groundwater.html">tritium, a weakly radioactive hydrogen isotope produced in the course of operating a nuclear power reactor, from underground pipes.* The plant owner\u0092s public relations effort in response to the leaks was inadequate and disorganized.* Indeed, they had originally stated last year before the leak that <ahref="http:\/\/www.burlingtonfreepress.com\/article\/20100225\/NEWS03\/2250305\/Internal-report-Entergy-did-not-intentionally-mislead-about-pipes">the underground pipes did not exist.* Regardless of intent, much of the public felt misled, which created opposition to the relicensing effort.<\/p>\n

When it comes to nuclear energy, <ahref="http:\/\/www.heritage.org\/Research\/EnergyandEnvironment\/bg2087.cfm">fact is one thing and perception is another.* The fact of the tritium leak is that it was minor in scope and did not threaten public health or safety.* Vermont Yankee has been safely operated for over 37 years, and officials from the federal <ahref="http:\/\/www.wcax.com\/Global\/story.asp?S=11978382">Nuclear Regulatory Commission informed Vermont lawmakers that there is no reason to close the plant.<spanid="more-27726"><\/span><\/p>\n

Further, while public health and safety is not imperiled by Vermont Yankee, the economic and environmental future of the state could be jeopardized by needlessly closing down the plant.* Nuclear accounts for <ahref="http:\/\/tonto.eia.doe.gov\/state\/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=VT">a higher percentage of electricity generation in Vermont than in any other state: around 75 percent.* And since Vermont Yankee is the only nuclear plant in the state, it is responsible for every bit of that production.<\/p>\n

Shutting down Vermont Yankee now, when the state has no viable power alternative, will result in substantially higher electricity rates.* One analysis from a year ago estimated a <ahref="http:\/\/www.rutlandherald.com\/article\/20090206\/NEWS02\/902060338\/1003\/NEWS02">19 percent to 39 percent increase in the cost of electricity.* Given that <ahref="http:\/\/tonto.eia.doe.gov\/state\/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=VT">Vermont households and businesses already pay 30 percent more than the national average, such rates could be devastating for the state\u0092s economy.<\/p>\n

Then there are the environmental facts.* The truth is that Vermont enjoys emissions-free electricity because of Vermont Yankee.* What\u0092s going to replace it?* Wind?* Solar?* Hardly.* Not only are these sources expensive, they are intermittent and require massive amounts of land to produce a similar amount of energy.* Natural gas and coal could provide Vermont with the electricity, but building a new plant when the existing one is working just fine is a monumental waste of resources.<\/p>\n

And one more thing: the <ahref="http:\/\/www.safecleanreliable.com\/vermont.htm">650 jobs at the Vermont Yankee plant will be lost if the vote stands.<\/p>\n

Then there is perception.* Spills and leaks of radioactive materials should never be taken lightly; they should, however, be viewed reasonably and dispassionately.* Considering the facts of Vermont Yankee\u0092s tritium leak in light of its 37-year safety record and the overwhelming economic and environmental benefits, closing the plant down early is a travesty. *But that is what happens when perception drives policy, which is <ahref="http:\/\/www.heritage.org\/Research\/EnergyandEnvironment\/wm2811.cfm">too often the case when it comes to nuclear energy<ahref="http:\/\/www.heritage.org\/Research\/EnergyandEnvironment\/wm2811.cfm">.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/blog.heritage.org\/2010\/03\/01\/…uclear-future\/<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On 03.01.10 02:28 PM posted by Jeff Witt <ahref="http:\/\/blog.heritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/nuclear_power_cooling_tower.jpg"><\/p>In a highly publicized decision last week, the Vermont Senate <ahref="http:\/\/www.burlingtonfreepress.com\/article\/20100225\/NEWS03\/100224051\/-1\/TOPICS0202\/Senate-pulls-plug-on-Vermont-Yankee">voted to potentially close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, the state\u0092s only nuclear plant. *The non-binding vote marked the culmination of a year-long debate in Vermont as to whether the state should renew the operating license […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4292,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-377081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377081\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}