Sen. Sanders urges U.S. federal government to keep its nose out of Vermont Yankee legal fight

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) just released the following statement:

Sanders Expects U.S. to Stay Out of Vermont Yankee Court Fight 
 
WASHINGTON, June 30 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) learned today that the U.S. Department of Justice has no plans to intervene in a legal fight over the fate of the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor at this time.
 
Sanders had urged Attorney General Eric Holder to stay out of a lawsuit filed in federal court in Vermont by Entergy Corp. The plant owner sued after the Vermont Senate last year voted 26-to-4 not to renew a state license for the 40-year-old, problem-plagued reactor.
 
“While I recognize that it is the responsibility of the Department of Justice to monitor developments in all ongoing litigation, I am pleased that they have no plans to intervene and I am confident that the Department will see no reason to intervene in the future,” Sanders said.
 
“I want to thank Sen. Harry Reid for his strong support for the state of Vermont,” Sanders added. “The Majority Leader is clearly in our corner on this issue and he has agreed to do everything he can to help me in this effort.”
 
Sanders is a member of the U.S. Senate committee that oversees the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
He criticized the NRC earlier this month after learning that commissioners secretly voted 3 to 2 to urge the Department of Justice to intervene in the Vermont case. The senator also spoke with the attorney general and other top officials at the Justice Department.
 
“If Vermont chooses an energy future that does not include a 40-year-old, problem-ridden nuclear power plant and that emphasizes energy efficiency and sustainable energy, it is certainly our right and the federal government has no role to play in that decision,” Sanders said.
 
Contact: Michael Briggs (202) 224-5141
 
   
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Three days ago, Sanders took the strong action of placing a hold on the nomination and re-confirmation of NRC Commissioner William Ostendorff, who very likely voted in favor of the U.S. Department of Justice intervening, on behalf of the NRC, on the side of Entergy Nuclear in its legal battle with the State of Vermont over the Vermont Yankee atomic reactor's 20 year license extension.

On June 16th, at a U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Sanders blasted the three NRC Commissioners who voted in favor of asking the DOJ to legally intervene on NRC's behalf on the side of Entergy Nuclear in the Vermont Yankee legal dispute.

Update on July 1, 2011 by admin

On July 1st, E&E reported that Sanders removed his hold on the nomination of Ostendorff to serve a second -- this time full 5 year -- term on the NRC Commission. Sanders indicated that he removed the hold on Ostendorff after he confirmed with the U.S. Department of Justice that it did not intend to intervene, at NRC's urging, on the side of Entergy Nuclear in its federal legal dispute with the State of Vermont over the 20 year license extension at Vermont Yankee.