Activism revs up, as "rogue corporation" Entergy Nuclear sinks to new lows
“Occupy Entergy” coalition efforts are revving up across the U.S., as watchdogs turn up the heat on some of the oldest and most risky atomic reactors in the country. Vermont state legislature leaders have long referred to Entergy Nuclear as a "rogue corporation."
Entergy Nuclear owns the following 10 reactors: Arkansas Nuclear One Units 1 & 2; FitzPatrick, NY; Grand Gulf, MS; Indian Point Units 2 & 3, NY; Palisades, MI; Pilgrim, MA; River Bend, LA; Vermont Yankee. Although owned by Nebraska Public Power District, Entergy operates an 11th reactor at Cooper, NE. Entergy's is the second biggest nuclear "fleet" in the U.S., after Exelon Nuclear. Of these, 4 (FitzPatrick; Pilgrim; Vermont Yankee; Cooper) are General Electric Mark I Boiling Water Reactors, "identical twins" to Fukushima Daiichi Units 1 to 4. River Bend and Grand Gulf are also GE BWRs, of the Mark III containment design.
Following are updates on certain of these troubled nuclear power plants.
Vermont Yankee: although the State of Vermont and New England Coalition just disappointingly lost a round to Entergy in the courts, hope is still high that a separate, mounting appeal to the New York City federal circuit will recognize Vermont's right to "just say no" to the 20 year license extension. The extension was granted by the "Nuclear Rubberstamp Commission" just days after the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe began in March 2011. The Safe and Green Energy (SAGE) Alliance and the Solar Rollers plan an "Independence from Entergy" rally in Brattleboro and non-violent civil disobedience action at Vermont Yankee on July 1st (see poster, above left).
Pilgrim: Beyond Nuclear has joined with Pilgrim Watch in filing a petition to intervene before an Atomic Safety (sic) and Licensing Board, in order to challenge the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's refusal to apply "lessons learned" from the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe at identical twin GE BWR Mark Is here in the U.S. At the same time, Pilgrim's own workforce has gone on strike, prompting watchdogs to protest the risk of continued operations by inadequately trained replacement workers.
Palisades: Prompted by D.C.-based attorney Billie Pirner Garde, advocate for nuclear whistleblowers with decades of experience, U.S. Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) has raised the alarm about the worsening leakage of radioactive, acidic water into the control room and auxiliary building. Entergy has done little more than collect the leaks, originating in the Safety Injection Refueling Water storage tank, in pails. In addition, Garde revealed to Markey that Palisades' safety culture has completely collapsed, with 74% of the workforce afraid to openly challenge management decisions for fear of harassment and retaliation. Attempts to patch the leaks and re-start the reactor have failed; NRC has launced a probe into potential Entergy wrongdoing, and, at Markey's prompting, demanded a copy of the internal workforce survey showing complete collapse of the safety culture at Palisades.
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