From 2002 until last year, Vermont's republican governor vetoed almost all of the major initiatives passed by the state's progressive legislature. In January, governor Peter Shumlin, a democrat who lives near Brattleboro, took office. Already, Vermont is setting an example for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Japan Quake Puts Valley Nuke in Local Spotlight
The massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 12 created a still-evolving disaster at several of Japan's nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, the Louisiana company that owns the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is trying to get permission from the government to run the 40 year old reactor until at least 2032. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.
Fight Over Valley Nuke Rages
Twelve months ago, the Vermont senate voted to permanently close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The New York Times published several long articles about the vote, which, the newspaper suggested, would mean the reactor’s owner, Entergy Corporation of Louisiana, would be required to close Vermont Yankee in March 2012. In the weeks after the vote, activists who had worked for decades to close Vermont Yankee celebrated. There were at least two victory parties in Brattleboro, one of which was attended by about 200 people, including Peter Shumlin.
Nine Women Arrested in Protest at Valley Nuke
On January 1, nine women were arrested at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant for non-violent civil disobedience. They were calling for the reactor to be closed immediately. Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.
The nine arrested were Vermonters Julia Bonafine of Shrewsbury, Martha Hennessy of Weathersfield, Robin Lloyd of Burlington, and Nina Swaim of Sharon, and Massachusetts residents Frances Crowe of Northampton, Marcia Gagliardi of Athol, Ellen Graves of West Springfield, Hattie Nestel of Athol, and Paki Wieland of Northampton.
Seven Arrested in Protest
Seven women were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant on September 21. The reactor is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.
The protesters were Nina Swaim of Sharon, Vermont; Martha Hennessey of Weathersfield, Vermont; Paki Wieland and Frances Crowe, both from Northampton; Hattie Nestel and Marcia Gagliardi from Athol, Massachusetts; and Ellen Graves from West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Nov. 2 Election Likely to Influence Future of Valley Nuke
The decision by voters in the November 2 governor's race in Vermont will likely affect the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.
A serious accident or act of sabotage at the reactor would kill thousands of people and leave hundreds of square miles of land uninhabitable.
August 24 Election Likely to Affect Valley Nuke's Future
The problem-plagued Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. The outcome of primary elections on August 24 in Vermont are likely to have a major impact on whether Entergy, the Louisiana corporation that owns Vermont Yankee, will get permission to run the reactor until 2032. The Vermont senate voted in February to close Vermont Yankee in March 2012. But Entergy officials are trying to get the senate to reverse itself when the senate reconvenes in January.
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.”
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.