ML062010349

G20060650/LTR-06-0349 - Ltr. Sen. Judd Gregg Regarding Yankee Nuclear Power Plant

ML062010349
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	06/22/2006
From:	Gregg J US SEN (Senate)
To:	Rathbun D Office of Congressional Affairs
Shared Package
ML062020727	List: ML062010349 ML062020689
References
G20060650, LTR-06-0349
Download: ML062010349 (5)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 08/01/06 EDO CONTROL: G20060650 DOC DT: 06/22/06 FINAL REPLY: Senator Judd Gregg TO: Rathbun, OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF** GRN **CRC NO: 06-0349 Reyes, EDO DESC: ROUTING: Yankee Nuclear Power Plant (Sterling Kenyon)DATE: 07/19/06 Reyes Virgilio Kane Silber Dean Cyr/Burns Collins, RI Schmidt, OCA ASSIGNED TO: NRR CONTACT: Dyer SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:ýý e (ak : Se cv -0 1 t7 E- le lbs'.'ýýEcy-c

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed.:

Jul 19, 2006 07:38 PAPER NUMBER: ACTION OFFICE: LTR-06-0349 EDO LOGGING DATE: 07/17/2006 AUTHOR: AFFILIATION:

ADDRESSEE:

SUBJECT:

ACTION: DISTRIBUTION:

LETTER DATE: ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING: SEN Judd Gregg CONG Dennis Rathbun Conditions at the Yankee Nuclear Power Plant Signature of EDO OCA to Ack 06/22/2006 No NOTES: FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: 08/08/2006 DATE SIGNED: EDO --G2 060650 JUDD GREGG NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEES:

BUDGET, Chairman APPROPRIATIONS HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR AND PENSIONS Unitcd oltatrva ol natc WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2904 (202) 224-3324 June 22; 2006 OFFICES: 125 NORTH MAIN STREET CONCORD, NH 03301 (603) 225-7115 41 HOOKSETT ROAD, UNIT 2 MANCHESTER, NH 03104 (603) 622-7979 60 PLEASANT STREET BERLIN, NH 03570 (603) 752-2604 16 PEASE BOULEVARD PORTSMOUTH, NH 03801 (603) 431-2171 Mr. Dennis Rathbun, Director Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Congressional Affairs Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Mr. Rathbun:

Enclosed please find a copy of a letter from Sterling Kenyon, a constituent of mine from Keene, New Hampshire.

Mr. Kenyon is concerned that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is allowing the Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vermont to stay open under unsatisfactory conditions.

He has attached an opinion essay from the ICeene Sentinel expressing his view point.I would appreciate your consideration and attentiveness to this matter. Thank you in advance for your prompt reply.Sincerely, Gregg Senator JG/ras Enclosure"N ".,.., ,CL. PAPER..... ,~~~~~~~~~~..

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PRINTED ON RECYCL.ED PAPER

vermont Yankee is a looming disaster Mr. Sterring Kenyo" 64 Sullivan St. *Keene, NH 03431-2040 To The Sentinel: r Human sacrifice is among the less palatable aspects of human S .1istory.

It was practiced in an-,.ient times by the Canaanites and the Phoenicians among oth-qrs, and by the Aztecs and Incas 9f the New World.It was intended to propitiate the gods so that they would grant prosperity to the sacrificdrs.

The N iblical story of Jacob and his bbdidnt willingness to'saiifi6 r o'ff God told'li" i to sacrifice a goat instead was no doubt intended' as a lesson against human sacrifice which some pagan religions practiced.

We do not think of it as such, but a form of human sacrifice is being practiced now", right here among us, and we are the poten-tial victims.In order to reap large profits, a firm headquartered in Louisiana has bought, no doubt at a bargain price, the aging, de-crepit and accident-prone Ver-mont Yankee nuclear power plant just as it has reached the end of its intended life and is due.to be shut down.'The company intends to not only-keep it 6perating long after its expiration date, but is in-creasing its power by 20 percent.This is like adding a super-charger to i truck that is ready for the scrap. heap with worn brakes, suspension, and steering and running it 20 percent faster than it ever ran before.It is doing this blessing and approiral of the NRC, the gov-ernment agency that is supposed to be watching out for our safety.It is true that if this heap fi-nally blows, most of us will prob-ably manage to escape with our lives, but- at what cost? A melt-down or near meltdown as hap-pened at Chernobyl and almost happened at Three Mile Island does not cause a massive explo-sirii'It iheieIfspredds ridiation o06r 'al"radils of 50 more, depending on the wind.Unlike a fire,. flood or earth-quake, radiation is forever and there can be no returning for many generations.

But that's not all. If anyone thinks of collecting-insurance and .building else-.where, think again.Every homeowner and busi-ness policy explicitly excludes coverage for nuclear radiation or damage of any sort. Insurance companies are run by hardhead-ed businessmen and they are not impressed by the blandishments of the power plant operators who tell us how safe the plant is, nor by the approval of the NRC which is more concerned with the prof-its of the nuclear industry than with the safety of the public.Nor would anyone be able to sue the power plant. A law known as the Price Anderson Act forbids that. It is not even cer-tain, with banks in the radiation zone being off limits to tellers and personnel, how we would even access our savings and fi-nancial assets. Most of us would become homeless paupers.What seems hardest to fath-.om is the lack, of public outrage at this experiment with an aging plant being done at our peril.Why don't we form an.organiza-tion to protect ourselves?

Where are our state officials on this, and where are our senators and con-gressman?

And where are we, as fair as, výbices'herd?.

X. Let's-76all:'6F"Wiit6 dr' laW-makers and let them know that we don't want to be. sacrificial lambs. Of course we need elec-tricity, but sdpercharging and extending the I life of this old turkey is not the way to do it.Here are sothe names and ad-dresses: 10 Gov. John Lynch, 25 Con-cord St., Conc6rd, N.H. 03301;phone: 271 2121.* State Sefi. Thomas Eaton, 27 Pleasant Hill Road, Keene, N.H. 03431; phone -(Concord):

271-8630 1 II U.S. Sen., Judd Gregg, 41 Hooksett Road, Manchester, N.H. 03104; phone: 622-7979.0- U.S. Sen. John Sununu, 1589 Elm St., Manchester, N.H., 03101; phone: 647-7500.0- U.S. RepJ Charles Bass, 1 West St., Keehe N.H., 03431;phone: 3584094. (Monday, Wednesday and' Friday.)FRED SLAVIC Rhododendron Road Fitzwilliam I