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Voices / Letters from readers

Pointless roadblocks for NorthStar could discourage company

Those of us who live in Vernon have experienced the effects of Vermont Yankee’s closure firsthand. Thanks to NorthStar’s proposed purchase of Vermont Yankee, Vernon has a chance to rebuild Windham County’s economic foundation sooner.

However, the state’s latest demands to require NorthStar to adhere to “residential standards” when decommissioning the site may force additional, pointless delays on the deal.

While constructive vetting is useful to ensure NorthStar’s ability to complete the job, endless roadblocks such as this will only delay the economic benefits that our region needs.

Even worse, these objections could lead NorthStar to throw up its hands and quit, leaving us with a 60-year delay to receive the economic benefits Windham County needs.

If the NorthStar deal is successful, Vermont Yankee can be decommissioned in as little as 10 years, opening up the site to a new employer that will bring jobs and economic stability to the community.

The state should consider the alternative — decades of waiting for the decommissioning of Vermont Yankee per the original plan — before delaying NorthStar’s process for a Certificate of Public Good even further.

Patty O'Donnell
Vernon

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Originally published in The Commons issue #433 (Wednesday, November 8, 2017). This story appeared on page D2.

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