DUMMERSTON — In August, I e-mailed the Dummerston selectboard about the “reverse 911” system whereby all residents are supposed to get a phone call with a recorded message to let them know if Vermont Yankee melts down.
I asked why I never got a test call from this system, even though my phone number and my address in Dummerston have been listed for years in the Verizon/FairPoint phone books.
The town clerk said she gave my email to the selectboard, but I have yet to get a response from the board, and still haven't gotten a test call from this system.
This issue is important because many people don't have Vermont Yankee radios, and some who do don't keep fresh batteries in them; a meltdown would almost certainly be accompanied by a power outage. Many people who do have the radio leave them off because of the annoying thunderstorm alarms that awaken people at 3 a.m.
There are Vermont Yankee sirens, but many people can't hear them, especially in winter when people's windows are closed, or when people are sleeping. VEMA's plan to have volunteer firefighters drive down every road within 10 miles of the reactor telling people to evacuate seems problematic.
The “reverse 911” system should also be able to call people's cell phones. This capability would tell people about a VY emergency if they aren't near their VY radio.
The Vermont Emergency Management Agency (VEMA) should create a website where people can sign up to get an email and/or text message if VY melts down.
People should contact their selectboard and Governor Shumlin, who appoints the head of VEMA, and demand a better nuclear emergency notification system. Entergy must pay for these improvements.
People should also attend anti-nuclear protests like the ones at the gates of Vermont Yankee Oct. 30 and on March 21, 2012.