33 Towns Support Closing Of Nuke Plant

[bananas]

Source: WPTZ (TV)

WILLIAMSVILLE, Vt. -- One of the most heated debates at town meetings was about the Vermont Yankee.

Thirty-nine communities around the state voted on whether or not they think the nuclear power plant's license should be extended, and most of those communities voted an overwhelming "no."

Organizers of a campaign to close Vermont Yankee nuclear plant say 33 towns voted in favor a measure urging state lawmakers to pull the plug on it.

The non-binding resolution was passed Tuesday at town meetings in Brattleboro, Brookline, Calais, Charlotte, Corinth, Charleston, Craftsbury, Dummerston, Duxbury, East Montpelier, Greensboro, Guilford, Halifax, Hinesburg, Holland, Lincoln, Marshfield, Middlesex, Marlboro, Montpelier, Newfane, Plainfield, Putney, Richmond, Shrewsbury, Townshend, Tunbridge, Warren, Westfield, Westminster, Windham, Woodbury and Worcester.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.wptz.com/news/18846612/detail.html

[Abq_Sarah]

1. So where do they think they're going to get their electricity?

Build a couple more coal fired plants?

[Endangered Specie]

3. Whats a little smog amongst friends?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. Wind.

This map indicates that Vermont has wind resources consistent with utility-scale production. The excellent wind resource areas in the state are on the ridge crests. Ridge crest locations crests along the spine of the Green Mountains are the most prominent areas with excellent wind resource. Ridge crests in extreme northeastern Vermont, and in western Vermont near the New York border also have locations of good-to-excellent wind resource.


http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/maps_template.asp?stateab=vt

[Abq_Sarah]

11. I'm all for wind power as a supplemental source

But it can't replace a steady, constant stream of power.

[defendandprotect]

16. solar --

small generators ---

[Abq_Sarah]

17. The house I'm building

Or was building until this economic mess forced me to put every cent into my business.... is off the grid. We're using solar, wind and generators. Of course the gennies require a fuel source.

Not everyone lives in an area where that's feasible and not everyone can afford that kind of investment.

[defendandprotect]

21. I thought you could hook the kids up to the generators . . . !!!!

We used to call my daughter "Miss Perpetual Motion" ---

Wow -- sounds like you have a lot to contend with!

I'm very anti-grid -- like vegetables, I don't see carting electricity over all

that mileage to make a monopoly rich.

Well, I do understand that attaching your bike to the generator won't get you

maybe more than an hour of TV, but after not too long only the rich will be able

to afford gas/oil anyway . . . ??!!

[BrightKnight]

13. LOL - no coal. Replacing 73% of Vermont's power w/ wind is a bit over budget. -n/t

[high density]

28. Wind?

But it destroys the sights! And what about the birds?

:sarcasm:

[Laelth]

42. Wind power BLOWS!

Wind Power BLOWS.

See the following:
http://www.keepersoftheblueridge.com/faqs.html
http://www.nortexwind.org/index.htm
http://www.stopillwind.org/index.php
http://windconcernsontario.wordpress.com/
http://www.savewesternny.org/
http://www.epaw.org/

Or just watch this series of videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNxvkrgoPLo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_utFV2ukOtU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOd5tSZF3A4&feature=related

There's more, but you get the idea. :)

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[jpak]

39. In-state wind, hydro, biomass and solar....Hydropower from Quebec

n/t

[Endangered Specie]

2. Thats why we have actual experts decide such things...

its called the NRC.

What reason do they want it to shut down?

[cali]

7. Vermont Yankee is an aging plant that has had its share of safety problems

and many of us believe that it poses a threat. Even our puke governor isn't completely sold on its continued operation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Yankee_Nuclear_Power_Plant

[Endangered Specie]

27. What people believe and what is reality is often different though...

from the wiki link you posted:

"Official inspection

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission performed a tri-annual inspection July-August 2008. It found three "minor faults." An Associated Press report said that it had won "high marks."<10> An anti-nuclear spokesman expressed dissatisfaction with the inspection."

[mbperrin]

4. Good! Now let's get the wind towers up!

Good news....

[cali]

8. Where?

[mbperrin]

24. Just about anywhere.

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/wind_energy_growth2008_27Jan09.html

The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all previous records in 2008 by installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity (enough to serve over 2 million homes), the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today, even as it warned of an uncertain outlook for 2009 due to the continuing financial crisis.
snip
The new wind projects completed in 2008 account for about 42% of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally last year, according to initial estimates, and will avoid nearly 44 million tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking over 7 million cars off of the road.

The amount that the industry brought online in the 4th quarter alone – 4,112 MW - exceeds annual additions for every year except 2007. In all, wind energy generating capacity in the U.S. now stands at 25,170 MW, producing enough electricity to power the equivalent of close to 7 million households and strengthening our national energy supply with a clean, inexhaustible, homegrown source of energy.

Iowa, with 2,790 MW installed, surpassed California (2,517 MW) in wind power generating capacity. The top five states in terms of capacity installed are now:

-Texas, with 7,116 MW
-Iowa, with 2,790 MW
-California, with 2,517 MW
-Minnesota, with 1,752 MW
-Washington, with 1,375 MW

Oregon moved into the club of states with more than 1,000 MW installed, which now counts seven states: Texas, Iowa, California, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.

more at the link

[mbperrin]

25. One of the only problems in west Texas is that we don't have enough

transmission lines already in place, and the windmills are often idled for hours a day because of it. Infrastructure is being added, but slowly.

[pleah]

5. Good for them.

"We are generating millions of tons of radioactive waste that is highly deadly and poisonous and we have not a clue what to do with it," DeWalt said. "That makes no sense to me to produce more of something like that."

Where does that toxic waste go?

[cali]

9. Dry cask storage on site.

[pleah]

14. That can't be good.

Is dry cask storage even safe?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_cask_storage Never mind I looked it up.


:hi:

[defendandprotect]

18. Radioactive waste --- and what about cancers .... ???

Or do we all think that we've just gotten a bit unlucky re cancers?

[ManiacJoe]

22. I take it there has been a noticeable increase?

[defendandprotect]

31. Isn't it 1 in every 4 Americans now?

Of course, smoking and pollution play their roles in this --

but during the 1950's there were leaks which seemed to directly

connect with the childhood leukemia many were experiencing!

"Down wind" -- cancer.

Certainly, none of this is healthful for us -- !!!

[ManiacJoe]

41. So, how does that apply to Vermont Yankee?

Have there been radiation leaks? Are the folks "downwind" having higher cancer rates than the upwind folks?

[pleah]

23. Some here will claim it is all due to smoking cigs.

:eyes:

[defendandprotect]

32. Wouldn't deny that -- but don't think by any means "all" . . .

[ProgressiveProfessor]

29. "Millions of tons" Another clueless twit

[bicentennial_baby]

10. Excellent

This slightly over the border of MA resident agrees.

[BrightKnight]

12. Vermont Yankee = 73% of Vermont's electricity.

That is a hell of a lot of smog, acid rain and greenhouse gasses. Where are they going to store the mountains of coal ash?

[RantinRavin]

15. Sell it to China

They can use it for filler material in drywall.

[BrightKnight]

20. 71m tons coal ash w/: arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, chromium VI, cobalt, lead, ...

manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, thallium, and vanadium, along with dioxins and PAH compounds...

Coal ash also contains uranium, thorium, potassium, and radium. It is radioactive.

Wastes Radiation Level
low average high .
Bottom Ash
1.6 3.5-4.6 7.7
Fly Ash
2 5.8 9.7


I would not want a house made out of that.

Shipping more than 71 million tons of coal ash to China each year might not be very practical.

[DissedByBush]

19. Prepare for the wailing when it closes

and the headline reads "X hundred jobs lost when nuclear plant closes."

That is the only job loss I can think of where I'll be laughing because it will be their own fault.

[robbibaba]

26. People need to watch this documentary....

it contains previously censored information and may open your eyes a bit. If you think we're so much better than the Russians, I bid you remember Katrina.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5384001427276447319
We can't wait until viable alternatives are ready to go. We have to make the alternatives viable by demanding them now.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

30. Demanding alternatives will do nothing to address the basic physics

Wind and solar are just not enough. If we want the economies of scales that come with cities, then we will need dedicated power plants of some sort (nuclear/NG, Coal, hydro...) to supply power.

[bananas]

34. Wind and solar are more than enough.

According to physics, engineering, and economics.
We use around 15TW, there's at least 70TW of wind available, and much more solar.

Wind, solar easily beat nuclear:
http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/14/stanford-study-part-1-wind-solar-baseload-easily-beat-nuclear-and-they-all-best-clean-coal/

If Obama stops dirty coal, as he must, what will replace it?
http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/18/obama-replace-dirty-coal-nuclear-efficency-cogeneration-wind-solar-csp-biomass-cofiring/

[ProgressiveProfessor]

40. the number that needs to be used is not max potential, but max economical

The energy densities required to supply the large cities in the northeast are just not there.

Climate Progress is a cheerleader and not a particularly reliable source for what is reasonably possible

[NNadir]

33. Oh goodie. Another victory for dangerous fossil fuels.

Vermont is the ONLY state that gets more than 90% of its energy from climate change gas free energy, but there is always a collection of stupid people fed by anti-science ignoramuses who want to change that.

Zero people in Vermont have ever been injured by operations at Vermont Yankee, but there will not BE ONE dangerous fundie anti-nuke who will shed a single tear from all the people who will die form the ignorance connected with shutting the plant.

Rather it will be like the disaster in Maine - a boon for dangerous natural gas - a climate disaster, all cheered on by ignorance, misinformation and the paranoia of people who can't think.

There are ZERO nuclear plants that have been shut by ignorance that have ever been replaced by anything but dangerous fossil fuels.

The same assholes who were here cheering for the earthquake at Kuriwa have not issed a PEEP for the dead from the dangerous fossil fuels.

While they screamed and tried to hype the earthquake, they NEVER produced a single dead body.

In fact there are ZERO anti-science anti-nuke fundies on this website who have EVER been able to show ONE death from nuclear power in this country. And there are ZERO anti-science anti-nuke fundies on this website who give a rat's ass how many people die each day from dangerous fossil fuels.

Heckuva job.

These people are asses, and there is an excellent video of Obama confronting one of them during the campaign.

I hope these asses realize how many of them are likely to die when they start getting levoglucans in their lung tissue as they deforest the area - but you can't BE an anti-nuke if you know ANY science.

[jpak]

37. Koo koo, Koo koo, Koo koo

:rofl:

[Dogmudgeon]

35. Posted 8 minutes before the 24-hour LBN limit! Well played!

:toast:

--d!

[Vinca]

36. I live about 10 miles from Vermont Yankee and it's a serious problem.

A couple of years ago, right after an inspection, a cooling tower collapsed for no apparent reason. The thing is 50 years or so old and should be coming to the end of its life, but the Republican governor apparently loves it.

[cali]

38. Actually, Douglas doesn't love it.

He's expressed serious concerns about the safety of VY.