BRATTLEBORO — Congratulations, Brad Ferland, on the great press your single op-ed garnered. You open your piece with: “When the state of Vermont holds a major public hearing about Vermont Yankee and almost no one attends, what does it mean?”
I do not know how many of these events you have attended. I will guess it is since the Vermont Energy Partnership, a pro-VY front group started by Entergy during the uprate hearings, maybe six.
It is not unusual for people in Chittenden County and other sites far north and west of here to not attend in any numbers. People spoke in Montpelier, Randolph, Norwich, and all seats were warmed and the standing room was to the alcove in the Brattleboro site.
Brad, let me be frank: You have been paid to promote Entergy; I have not. This meeting had nearly two weeks' warning. The meeting's subject was a pre-Christmas back-room deal by the Department of Public Service that basically negates the regulatory process in Vermont.
What point is it to have a regulated utility structure, if the state caves for fear of being irresponsibly treated by a company clamoring for fair, trusted-partner status?
Fact: Entergy has not upheld agreements made before this Public Service Board (PSB).
Fact: Entergy managers and liaison representatives misspoke under oath in Vermont.
Fact: Entergy attorney said in 2002, “Entergy will not sue VT using federal field preemption.”
Fact: Entergy does not know the radiological condition of buried/underground pipes on site.
Fact: Entergy VY made up the difference between “underground” and “buried.”
Fact: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has no such delineation.
Fact: Entergy VY was fined for a disdain of the state regulatory board process.
Fact: Entergy attorneys have been sanctioned twice by the PSB.
Fact: Entergy is asking in this memorandum of understanding (MOU) before the board to receive fair-partner status.
Truthfully, in my eyes, the only way Entergy could earn fair-partner status is for Entergy to do all stated objectives of the MOU and more - without approval of a Certificate of Public Good (CPG).
If the employees didn't know their jobs were in jeopardy after March 21, 2012, then it is not up to the state to allow the reactor to operate until the end of this year.
What Energy is fighting for is permission to keep the reactor open until next year. They have operated without a CPG since the aforementioned date, yet the stay from federal Judge John Murtha allows the state to again act, after the current PSB decision.