BRATTLEBORO — A motion by Entergy Vermont Yankee to limit discussion of the impacts of the nuclear power plant’s operation on the Connecticut River in hearings before the Vermont Public Service Board was scuttled on June 19.
The PSB is currently reviewing Entergy’s application for a new certificate of public good, issuance of which would allow Yankee to continue operating until 2032. Yankee’s previous CPG expired on March 21, 2012, but because of litigation filed against the state by Entergy, the PSB is allowing Yankee to continue operating under the old certificate.
Yankee is also operating with a Clean Water Act permit that expired on 2006; Entergy’s application for a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit has been under review since 2005.
Though the Environmental Protection Agency issues regulations and minimum standards as part of the National Environmental Protection Act, Vermont has been delegated authority to enforce the standards, and can even write standards that are tougher than those issued by the federal government.
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has been reviewing Entergy’s NPDES application, but has been delayed by legal maneuvering and the EPA’s issuance of updated regulations related to the best technology available to limit impacts on river water.
Continue reading at PSB denies Yankee request to limit testimony
