Sen. Wolf: Pilgrim nuclear plant needs to go
By
February 24, 2014
BREWSTER — State Sen. Daniel Wolf was preaching to the choir Sunday afternoon at First Parish Brewster.
The topic was not religion, but the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.
Wolf presented a discussion on the plant and its risk to Cape Cod to an audience of about 100 people, several of them members of Cape Downwinders, a grassroots organization on Cape Cod that is concerned about the safety of Pilgrim.
"He has always spoken up on the critical dangers of Pilgrim," said Margaret Rice Moir, a member of Cape Downwinders and of the committee that organized the forum.
Wolf told the crowd he is not a "fearmonger" on the topic of Pilgrim.
"This isn't (supposed) to be about fear," Wolf said. "This is about mechanics."
Pilgrim has stirred up considerable public opposition over the 41 years it has been in existence, particularly during the plant's re-licensing process in 2012. Recently, a slew of unplanned shutdowns at the plant has heightened critics' concerns.
"It's so inexcusable to me that on the heels of Fukushima the Nuclear Regulatory Commission passed a re-licensing for 20 years," Wolf said.
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused a catastrophic failure at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan that resulted in the release of substantial amounts of radioactive materials and the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents.
Residents of the Cape are concerned about Pilgrim's safety, given that it has the same type of reactor as that at Fukushima, and the lack of an evacuation plan should there be an accident.
In 2013, every Cape town, through town meeting or ballot vote, approved petitions asking Gov. Deval Patrick, as the state's top official, to call for Pilgrim's closure.
At a 2011 Massachusetts Statehouse hearing, an ISO New England spokesman said other energy sources were available to make up for the power that would be lost if Pilgrim were to shut down.
However, in a Feb. 5 press release, ISO New England, which is responsible for the operation of New England's electric grid, announced the expectation of a power shortfall in 2017 reflecting "the need for new resources."
Nuclear power makes up 33.2 percent of the total power generated in New England, according to ISO New England.
Five percent of the electricity used in Massachusetts is generated by nuclear power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
A long-term energy plan with a short-term bridge program is needed, Wolf said.
"I am advocating a 20-year plan" for the Cape, Wolf said.
A long-term energy plan should include reliance on renewable energy sources and should "phase out the dependence on fossil fuel burning," he said.
A final decision on whether to shut down Pilgrim is up to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Wolf said.
When asked what the public should do to influence Pilgrim's future, Wolf advised people to go to rallies, write to elected officials and "take a public position."
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140224/NEWS/402240304/-1/NEWSLETTER100
No comments:
Post a Comment