The Colossal Failure of Nuclear Power

Nothing exposes the colossal failure of nuclear power better than decommissioning. For all the assurances by Entergy and now NRC that Vermont Yankee will have enough monies in its decommissioning fund, don’t be fooled. Every reactor before closure claimed that there were enough monies in the decommissioning fund to cover cleanup.

Reality repeatedly proved nuclear corporate claims false. What has been demonstrated are soaring decommissioning costs and with public utilities, ratepayers charged for decommissioning costs on closed reactors that no longer contribute to the public good.

So should we believe Entergy when it tries to assuage legislative as well as public concern over Vermonters covering cost overruns and babysitting toxic high level waste?

Not on your life. Some recent examples should lead Vermonters to question just how expensive clean up of this “clean” technology can be.

Yankee Rowe, a 185 megawatt reactor, cost $39 million to build; it was estimated to cost over $200 million to cleanup; then $325 million. It has now reached over $725 million dollars. This does not include the costs of maintaining the high level nuclear waste on site for decades if not centuries. Connecticut Yankee reactor in Haddam, CT, smaller than Vermont Yankee, in 2002 was estimated to cost over $800 million dollars; it is now estimated to cost over $1 billion. SAFSTOR will not save the state. If Entergy is relicensed not only will its decommissioning fund increase but also its cleanup costs. Entergy should be required to fully fund its decommissioing fund now.

Closing Vermont Yankee in 2012 and employing the skilled workforce in a thorough clean up of the highly contaminated site is a conservative solution to an insane problem. Permitting Vermont Yankee to continue to operate to build up its decommissioning fund is pure folly.