- Sep 26, 2000
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http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_12154102
BRATTLEBORO -- No way, we won't pay.
In fact, if you try to force us through legislation, said a top executive from Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, we will file a lawsuit.
The Vermont Legislature has been debating a bill that would require Entergy to fully fund Yankee's decommissioning trust prior to receive approval from the state for continued operation past 2012.
"I don't want it to sound like a threat because it's not a threat, but Vermont Yankee does not make the kind of revenue that would allow this kind of payment," Jay Thayer, Yankee's site vice president, told members of the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
The decommissioning bill, which was recently approved by Vermont's House of Representatives, requires that Entergy pay $229 million into the cleanup fund between now and 2012.
Yankee is scheduled to shut down in 2012, but Entergy has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its license to 2032.
In addition to NRC approval, Entergy also must receive a certificate of public good from the Public Service Board and approval from the state Legislature.
Supporters of the legislation are concerned about recent fluctuations in the stock market and how they have affected the fund, which is invested by a number of Wall Street Firms in a variety stocks.
The fund was put at $359 million by Entergy representatives yesterday, which Thayer said is enough to guarantee the site will be cleaned up adequately, whether Yankee closes in 2012 or 2032. If Yankee does close in 2012 however, the plant would be mothballed, or put into SAFSTOR as the NRC calls it, to allow the fund to grow to the estimated $1 billion necessary to decommission it.
"If the plant closes in 2012, (Yankee) would remain in SAFSTOR for a period of time most likely, in a 15- to 20-year time frame," said Thayer.
Cliffs:
Entergy has put away about about one third of the estimated 1 billion dollar cleanup cost for Vermont Yankee.
The plan is to let the nuke plant sit for 15-20 years after it stops operating in the hope that the one third investment will grow to enough to decommission it.
The State of Vermont wants Entergy to put away additional money to cover one half of what it would cost to decommission it before they allow Entergy an extension of 20 years on the plant(it's the oldest in the country already)
Entergy says they will sue.
Does anyone really know how much electricity costs from a nuke plant? The government massively subsidizes nuke power to begin with, everything from processing and selling uranium at a huge loss to the taxpayer, to assuming responsibility if the plant has an accident, to spending billions on research and development of reactors, etc, etc.
And now even with massive subsidies nuke plants don't want to put away enough money to clean up their mess.
BRATTLEBORO -- No way, we won't pay.
In fact, if you try to force us through legislation, said a top executive from Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, we will file a lawsuit.
The Vermont Legislature has been debating a bill that would require Entergy to fully fund Yankee's decommissioning trust prior to receive approval from the state for continued operation past 2012.
"I don't want it to sound like a threat because it's not a threat, but Vermont Yankee does not make the kind of revenue that would allow this kind of payment," Jay Thayer, Yankee's site vice president, told members of the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
The decommissioning bill, which was recently approved by Vermont's House of Representatives, requires that Entergy pay $229 million into the cleanup fund between now and 2012.
Yankee is scheduled to shut down in 2012, but Entergy has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its license to 2032.
In addition to NRC approval, Entergy also must receive a certificate of public good from the Public Service Board and approval from the state Legislature.
Supporters of the legislation are concerned about recent fluctuations in the stock market and how they have affected the fund, which is invested by a number of Wall Street Firms in a variety stocks.
The fund was put at $359 million by Entergy representatives yesterday, which Thayer said is enough to guarantee the site will be cleaned up adequately, whether Yankee closes in 2012 or 2032. If Yankee does close in 2012 however, the plant would be mothballed, or put into SAFSTOR as the NRC calls it, to allow the fund to grow to the estimated $1 billion necessary to decommission it.
"If the plant closes in 2012, (Yankee) would remain in SAFSTOR for a period of time most likely, in a 15- to 20-year time frame," said Thayer.
Cliffs:
Entergy has put away about about one third of the estimated 1 billion dollar cleanup cost for Vermont Yankee.
The plan is to let the nuke plant sit for 15-20 years after it stops operating in the hope that the one third investment will grow to enough to decommission it.
The State of Vermont wants Entergy to put away additional money to cover one half of what it would cost to decommission it before they allow Entergy an extension of 20 years on the plant(it's the oldest in the country already)
Entergy says they will sue.
Does anyone really know how much electricity costs from a nuke plant? The government massively subsidizes nuke power to begin with, everything from processing and selling uranium at a huge loss to the taxpayer, to assuming responsibility if the plant has an accident, to spending billions on research and development of reactors, etc, etc.
And now even with massive subsidies nuke plants don't want to put away enough money to clean up their mess.