Westminster, Vt. Calls for Nuclear Safety Study

WESTMINSTER, Vt. -- - The selectmen voted 4-1 to sign a letter presented to them by Magdaline Volaitis urging the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct a top to bottom safety inspection of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon.

Recently, the NRC decided to conduct it's own independent safety study of the plant, a huge concession according to Volaitis, but one that still falls short of addressing safety concerns according to the Westminster resident.

Volaitis said that the inspection agreed to by the NRC does not include as many safety points as an inspection called for by the Vermont State House of Representative and the Senate. She wanted the town to voice support for the higher standard of the state inspection by signing the letter.

"I don't think it would hurt anything for the town to follow through," she said. "Probably all of the local pressure aided to the decision."

According to Volaitis, towns in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont all supported the tougher Senate resolution. That support for the inspection helped determine the outcome she said.

The Senate resolution called for more inspection hours as well as greater oversight of the plant that sits 30 miles from Westminster. The study called for by the NRC was initially a paper review according to Volaitis.

The plant's owner, Entergy, is attempting to have a 20 percent uprate in output approved while renewing its license. In recent weeks cracks in steam dryers at the plant have been discovered and two fuel rods have turned up missing.

Volaitis came to the board at its April 27 meeting with the same letter and won board approval, but the letter was not signed due to a technicality.

With Selectman Chris Harlow not at the meeting a 2-1 vote approved the signing of the letter, but Chairman Bill Noyes's abstention from voting nullified the favorable tally.

Harlow was in attendance last night and voted in favor of the letter, along with Noyes, Paul Harlow and Sheldon Beebe. Peter Barrett voted against the letter again, stating he was against the pressure on the plant.

Before saying he doubted the letter would win town-wide support, Barrett railed against special interest pressure on businesses, government regulation and proposed agriculture regulation in California that would regulate air around dairy farms.

Chris Harlow conceded he did not like over-regulation on businesses either, but that higher standards out to be in place for the plant that is close by.

"I'd rather have a nuclear plant down the river than a huge coal thing," he said.

Volaitis was pleased with the support she got from the board.

"We're asking for the highest safety standard possible," she said.