Public to State: 'Shut Valley Nuke Now'

On July 8, some 80 people told the Vermont Public Service Board at a Brattleboro public hearing to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant immediately and permanently. Only a few people spoke in favor of the reactor and they work for Entergy Corporation of Louisiana, the owner of Vermont Yankee.

"Now is our chance to close Vermont Yankee," said Sandra Levine of the Conservation Law Foundation www.clf.org

Keene Congressman: Close Valley Nuke Now

On June 16, Keene congressman Paul Hodes blasted the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its failures at the tattered Vermont Yankee nuclear power reactor, and called on the NRC to order Entergy, the Louisiana company that owns the reactor, to shut Yankee immediately.

In a formal complaint to the NRC, whose members are appointed by the nuclear industry funded President Obama, the Keene congressman demanded “public answers for the lax oversight that has allowed Vermont Yankee to continue operating despite a safety record featuring frequent, repeated radioactive leaks.”

Simba Plays Near Brattleboro June 21

Simba will play a concert in Dummerston, Vermont, near Brattleboro, on June 21 from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. The concert will be at the Grange hall at the corner of Middle and East-West roads. Tickets are $10.

At least 100 people danced to the music of the Brattleboro-area band Simba for hours on the night of December 21, 2009 at the Grange hall in Dummerston. The band plays reggae and funk, among other kinds of music.

Activists in Mississippi: 'Close Vermont Yankee!'

On May 7, members of Greenpeace went to Entergy Corporation’s annual shareholder meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. They told company officials to close Entergy's Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor in 2012. Vermont Yankee is in Vernon, Vermont. It's three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.

Greenpeace spokesman Jarred Cobb told the Valley Post that, “The Vermont state senate voted in February 2010 to close Vermont Yankee in March 2012. The vote was 26-4. Entergy is ignoring the wishes of Vermonters.”

More information is at www.greenpeace.org

$1 Billion to Clean Up Valley Nuke

Earlier this year, the Vermont senate voted to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in 2012. Yankee is a few miles from Massachusetts and a stone’s throw from New Hampshire.

“When Vermont Yankee closes in 2012, it will not be the end of the story,” said Paul Burns, director of www.vpirg.org “The reactor site will be a nuclear waste dump that will cost more than $1 billion dollars to clean up.”

The subsidiary of Entergy Corporation that owns Vermont Yankee is likely to declare bankruptcy in 2012 and stick Vermont taxpayers with the clean-up costs.

Regulators Say They May Shut Vermont Yankee Now

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant may be ordered to close immediately by state regulators, according to a statement released on February 25 by the Vermont Public Service Board, whose members are appointed by the governor. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.

Vermont Senate Votes to Close Nuke in 2012

The Vermont senate voted on February 24 to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in 2012. The vote was 26-4. The reactor is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. The New York Times reported that the vote means Vermont Yankee will almost certainly close in 2012. For more information about Vermont Yankee and the grassroots movement that led to the senate vote, please click the "nuclear power" tag, above, then scroll down.

UPDATE: Vermont Senate to Vote This Afternoon on Closing Nuke

The Vermont senate will vote on February 24 on whether the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant can run after 2012, said Duane Peterson, president of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group www.vpirg.org

Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.

Live video of the senate debate is available at www.vpirg.org

Live audio is available at www.leg.state.vt.us

500 at Rally Say 'Close Vermont Yankee'

About 500 people attended a march and rally to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant February 21 in Brattleboro. Organizers asked people to contact their legislators in advance of a key vote in the Vermont senate on February 24. One anti-nuclear group is seeking donations so it can run a television commercial about the vote. Details are at www.vpirg.org

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This photo shows the February 21 march. Please click on the photo to enlarge it. photo by Eesha Williams

Vermont Yankee Leaking Nuclear Waste Into Connecticut River

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is leaking cancer-causing tritium, a form of nuclear waste, into the Connecticut River, a spokesperson for the Vermont Department of Health said on February 9. The river, a popular swimming and fishing area in summer, flows south from Vermont through Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, and Springfield. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.