In Vernon, Vermont, a nuclear waste dump sits three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. An accident at the facility could kill thousands of people and leave an area the size of New England permanently uninhabitable. The dump is owned and operated by the Louisiana-based Entergy Corporation.

In a victory of people power over corporate power, the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor closed permanently on December 29. The facility is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. It's owned by Entergy Corporation of Louisiana.

The closure came after years of protests by thousands of people in the Valley. Hundreds were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. Thousands attended marches and rallies, spoke out at public hearings, and went door-to-door to educate their neighbors about the dangers of nuclear power.

The owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant wants to end the system of sirens, free “tone alert radios” for people within 10 miles of the reactor, and automated phone calls in case of a nuclear emergency. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. Thanks to a protest movement in the Brattleboro area that saw thousands march and hundreds arrested for non-violent, civil disobedience, the 42-year-old reactor will close permanently in December. It's owned by Entergy Corporation of Louisiana.

On April 1 at 5:30 p.m., there will be a protest at the gates of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The public is invited. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. The protest organizers' main goal is to close the reactor immediately and permanently. Other goals relate to how and when the site will be cleaned up after the reactor is closed. Vermont Yankee is currently scheduled to close permanently late this year or early next year.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant may be more dangerous when it closes later this year than it is now, an expert told the Valley Post this week. Vermont Yankee is so dangerous that no insurance company will cover it. The facility gets its insurance from the federal government. A major accident or act of sabotage at Vermont Yankee would cause thousands of “prompt fatalities,” and leave an area the size of New England uninhabitable for generations, according to a report by the federal government.

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

Entergy officials say they decided to close Vermont Yankee because of the low price of natural gas. If that's true, why is the company continuing to run its five other nuclear power plants, including Pilgrim near Boston and Indian Point in New York?

In a victory of people power over corporate power, Entergy's CEO said on August 27 the company will close its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in 2014. The move comes after years of protests by thousands of people in the Valley. Hundreds were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. Thousands attended marches and rallies, spoke out at public hearings, and went door-to-door to educate their neighbors about the dangers of nuclear power.

On July 15, eight women were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone’s throw from New Hampshire. Among the women was Hattie Nestel of Athol, Massachusetts.

The last time that a nuclear power plant was ordered and built in the United States was in 1973. There are 61 nuclear power plants in the nation. On June 7, the owner of the San Onofre nuclear power plant said it will close the plant permanently. San Onofre is about 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles. “This nation does not need nuclear power,” Shaun Burnie told the Los Angeles Times. He works for Friends of the Earth www.foe.org which for decades fought to close San Onofre.

On August 10, activists in kayaks and canoes will protest near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, which is on the Connecticut river. The public is invited to join the protest. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts.

The event is being organized by the same group that organized a protest against Vermont Yankee in Brattleboro last year that drew 1,500 people, 137 of whom were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. The group’s web site is www.SAGEalliance.net. More information is available by calling Deb Katz of www.NukeBusters.org at (413) 339-5781.