Two dozen groups urge State of MA to divest from Entergy due to safety and economic risks at Pilgrim

NRC file photo of Entergy's Pilgrim GE BWR Mark I on Cape Cod Bay in Plymouth, MABeyond Nuclear has signed onto an effort spearheaded by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, and endorsed by two dozen local groups, to urge the State of Massachusetts to divest more than $8 million invested in Entergy. The signatory groups cited the economic and safety risks associated with the nuclear utility's problem-plagued Pilgrim atomic reactor. A June 4th letter was sent to Governor Patrick and Treasurer Grossman, as described in a June 9th press release.

NRC recently placed Pilgrim on its "degraded" performance short list. The only other reactor in the country with a worse performance designation is FitzPatrick in upstate New York. Both Pilgrim and FitzPatrick are General Electric Mark I boiling water reactors, identical in design to Fukushima Daiichi Units 1 to 4.

Entergy's Palisades atomic reactor in Michigan was similarly designated one of the worst performers in the U.S. a couple years ago, after not one but two near-misses in 2011, and yet another one in 2012, as documented by David Lochbaum at Union of Concerned Scientists.

A year ago, energy economist Mark Cooper of Vermont Law School identified Entergy's six merchant reactors (half its national fleet), including Pilgrim, as at risk of near-term shutdown. This is due to a variety of factors, including economic uncompetitiveness and needed, costly safety repairs. In August 2013, Cooper was proven right, when Entergy announced the permanent shutdown of Vermont Yankee (another Entergy GE BWR Mark I) by the end of 2014.

Update on June 11, 2014 by admin

The State Treasurer of Massachusetts has responded to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, expressing strong support for the efforts to permanently close Entergy's Pilgrim atomic reactor. However, the State Treasurer has indicated that divestment of state pension funds from Entergy would require the enactment of legislation -- that is, action by the state legislature, as well as the governor.

Residents, environmental groups, elected official meet with NRC Chairman: safety, security risks at Palisades, Cook discussed

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Allison Macfarlane

On June 4th, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee convened a hearing on "NRC’s Implementation of the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendations and other Actions to Enhance and Maintain Nuclear Safety." All five NRC Commissioners took part as witnesses. An archived webcast of the hearing can be viewed online, and a link is provided to NRC Chairman Macfarlane's opening statement.

On June 5th, concerned local residents, representatives from Beyond Nuclear, Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, Don’t Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future (both Kalamazoo and South Haven Chapters), and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, and a Kalamazoo City Commissioner met with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Allison Macfarlane (photo, left) and NRC staff, including NRC Region 3 (Midwest) Administrator Cynthia Pederson, in Benton Harbor, MI. Beyond Nuclear helped coordinate the meeting.

Benton Harbor is roughly equidistant (about 15 miles to each) between the two atomic reactors at American Electric Power’s Donald C. Cook nuclear power plant to the south in Bridgman, MI, and the Entergy Palisades atomic reactor to the north in Covert, MI, both on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The grassroots watchdogs on southwest MI’s atomic reactors raised a number of concerns and grievances concerning broken promises about safety repairs (including aging- and design-related risks); safety culture collapse, including on the security guard force; ever mounting radioactive waste concerns; and leaks, as well as intentional releases, of hazardous substances into the air, soil, groundwater, and Lake Michigan (radioactivity, toxic chemicals, and most recently, oil). Concerns were raised that NRC is prioritizing nuclear utility profits over public safety. The coalition urged that the dirty, dangerous, and expensive atomic reactors be permanently shutdown, and NRC oversee a safe decommissioning of the sites (dismantlement, clean up of radioactive contamination, and safeguarding of high-level radioactive wastes in Hardened On-Site Storage).

This is the fourth visit to Palisades by an NRC Commissioner – and the second visit by an NRC Chairman – in just two years, more than any other atomic reactor in the country. The previous visits have included: May 25, 2012, NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko; March 25, 2013, NRC Commissioner William Magwood IV; and May 13, 2013, NRC Commissioner Kristine Svinicki. Jaczko, Magwood, and now Macfarlane have met with local concerned residents and environmental group representatives, as part of their tours of Palisades. The numerous NRC Commissioner visits are an indication of the ongoing concerns about risks to health, safety, security, and environment at Palisades.

On June 6th, Chairman Macfarlane will tour both Cook and Palisades with U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

See the June 4, 2014 media advisory regarding the Benton Harbor meeting. Also see the June 5, 2014 media release.

Following are the prepared written statements by the grassroots participants:

Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps submitted a copy of the Statement of Principles for Safeguarding Nuclear Waste at Reactors, calling for Hardened On-Site Storage of irradiated nuclear fuel.

Statement of John Brenneman, Michigan Safe Energy Future (MSEF)--Kalamazoo Chapter;

Statement of Maynard Kaufman, MSEF--South Haven Chapter;

Statement of Ed McArdle, Conservation Co-Chair, Michigan Sierra Club;

Statement of Carol McGeehan, concerned local resident from Holland, MI;

Statement of Barbara Pellegrini, concerned local resident from Hagar Twp., MI;

Statement of Bette Pierman, MSEF--South Haven Chapter;

Statement of Kraig D. Schultz, Secretary, MSEF. Kraig also submitted a letter from Schultz Engineering.

Update on June 9, 2014 by admin

Fox 17 reported on this story, interviewing Bette Pierman and Kraig Schultz of Michigan Safe Energy Future--South Haven Chapter.

So did WSBT-South Bend, IN, as did WSJM, both reminding viewers/listeners that NRC has designated Palisades in recent years as among the worst performing atomic reactors in the country.

The Kalamazoo Gazette also reported on this story (however, Beyond Nuclear has submitted a letter to the editor to correct the record: far from meeting with concerned local residents and environmental group representatives, U.S. Rep. Upton (R-MI) previously rejected a meeting request from the coalition).

WNDU-South Bend reported "measured responses" about both Cook and Palisades' safety performance, with the NRC Chairman describing them as merely "adequate" and "satisfactory."

Michigan Radio reported that NRC Chairman Macfarlane downplayed the results of an internal NRC survery revealing that agency employees faced negative consequences if they officially voiced disagreement with regulatory decisions, which has long led to a chilled work environment.