NRC renews Vermont Yankee license

[wtmusic]

"Rock blunts scissor ~ the federal agency concludes the reactor is safe to operate for another 20 years.

In the classic strategy game of rock, scissors, paper, as it has played out in the dispute over the relicensing of the 600 MW Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor, the governor and the legislature have done everything possible to cut the future of the plant off at its knees. That’s scissors.

However, as things have turned out, the NRC’s sometimes ponderous proceedings have rolling along like a rock in a river proving that federal legal process has blunted the scissors of state political opposition.

While many in Vermont have genuine concerns about the reactor, Gov. Shumlin went much further in leveraging those concerns into his successful campaign to be elected governor last November."

http://theenergycollective.com/dan-yurman/53323/nrc-renews-vermont-yankee-license?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Ironic considering what is happening in Japan

[FBaggins]

2. Expect a 9.1 earthquake and a tsunami in VT some time soon, do you?

But yeah... it's at least ironic.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. I'm bookmarking so many threads right now.

I'm going to get some serious mooning in if they get the reactors safely under control, particularly since Fukushima Daiichi is the same basic design and age as Vermont Yankee.

[NNadir]

4. Won't matter.

Of course, we have lots of people here <em>hoping</em> for many deaths that are related to nuclear energy, and if there are two deaths, they will talk endlessly about them, for decades.

When Kariwa Kashikawa was hit some years back, a dumb guy wrote a great diary about "situation grave at nuclear power plant" on Daily Kos.

The plant is now operating and the diary has been deleted by its writer.

Not one of the anti-nukes here ever called for banning <em>buidlings</em> even though all of the people who died in that quake were killed by <em>buildings</em>

Note there is no grief here about the <em>buildings</em> now, even though thus far, people have died, once again, from buildings.

[jpak]

8. what horseshit - a new low

yup

[NNadir]

9. I call 'em as I see 'em. I consider the statement entirely accurate.

Not one anti-nuke showed up here to discuss the buildings and gas and oil fires that have already killed people.

NOT ONE.

[FBaggins]

5. It may not make a difference for VT Yankee

There was a significant possibility that VT Yankee would have convinced the state legislature to relent, but not the fear mongering will be too easy.

They may still win in court (it's not altogether clear whether VT really has the power to overrule the NRC), but their ability to win with logic is gone whether these plants are all fine or not. Logic just took a back seat to fear.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. I thought they already secured the license?

[FBaggins]

7. Two different approvals.

They recently won recertification from the federal regulating agency for an additional 20 years. The state of VT, however, has a law saying that their legislature must also approve the continuing operation of a reactor and they voted that down last year (by a very solid margin).

They're the only state with such a law and there's some question re: whether the law carries adequate weight.

We'll know more over the course of the next year or so.