Provincetown Leads the Way by Passing Town Article to Close Pilgrim
Article passes by a vote of 197 to 2
Cape Downwinders Source →
CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS – Provincetown town meeting members voted 197-2 on Wednesday April 3, 2013 to call on Governor Deval Patrick to request the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) close Entergy’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS).
Cape Downwinders initiated a Cape-wide petition to give citizens a voice for public health and safety with twelve Cape Cod towns having the public advisory question on a ballot or warrant. Two additional town boards, Yarmouth and Falmouth, will vote next week to include the petition on their town ballot.
The public advisory question reveals the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and Entergy’s radiological emergency plans to keep residents on the Cape in the event of a severe accident even if a radioactive plume is moving over the area. The Sagamore and Bourne bridges will be closed to facilitate Plymouth evacuation efforts, and the state would later determine hot spots and “relocate” residents.
PNPS is a GE Mark l Boiling Water Reactor with the same design as Fukushima Daiichi where safety systems failed after loss of offsite power causing 3 meltdowns. In Japan, the US government called for a 50 mile evacuation of American citizens for their protection. With a no-go zone around the destroyed reactors expanding out to 20 miles, over 160,000 people were removed from their home indefinitely. Recently, the NRC held an open house in Plymouth where an NRC official Tom Setzer agreed that ‘Fukushima can happen here”.
A year ago, Governor Patrick, Attorney General Coakley, Congressmen Keating and Markey, State Senate President Murray, Senator Wolf, and Representative Peake all requested that the NRC withhold relicensing of PNPS until lessons learned from Fukushima were addressed. The NRC ignored those pleas and relicensed PNPS for another 20 years. Entergy will continue to operate the reactor even though there are imminent dangers involving 3,400 spent fuel assemblies in a pool designed for 880, a poorly designed containment structure known to have a 90% chance of failure, and serious problems with the emergency plans.
Cape Downwinders spokesperson Diane Turco said, “What is being protected here-people or profits? Telling the public to stay put, take the radiation hit, and relocate later will not be tolerated. The people are calling for the NRC to uphold their mandate to shut a nuclear power reactor if the public safety cannot be assured. Provincetown has spoken and the rest of the Cape will follow”.
Bills being introduced in the Massachusetts Statehouse 2013
Representative James Cantwell
An Act increasing nuclear power plant protections to a twenty mile radius. PDF
Amend Section 5K(E) of Chapter 111 to assess power companies $400,000 per reactor (Pilgrim, VY & Seabrook) to fund DPH radiation control program. PDF
Representative Sarah Peake & Ann-Margaret Ferrante
An Act increasing nuclear power plant protections to a twenty mile radius. PDF
MEMA to assess the present preparedness in Barnstable and Essex Counties and to determine the need for, and appropriateness of, any additional specific steps for a radiological accident at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. PDF
Senator Dan Wolf
Increase Protections to 20 Miles (and including cities and towns located in Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties, as well as in the area known as Cape Ann in Essex county. PDF
Pilgrim nuclear meltdown risk spurs Cape lawmakers to action
Kaimi Rose Lum, Provincetown Banner Source →
WELLFLEET — Concerned for the safety of Cape Codders, who live downwind of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and in the state-declared “ingestion zone” of potential radioactive fallout, state Rep. Sarah Peake and state Sen. Dan Wolf are pushing for laws that will heighten emergency planning efforts and force the aging plant to address safety issues relating to the thousands of spent fuel rods stored in its attic.
Entergy Water Pollution at Pilgrim Nuclear Is Subject of Federal Notice of Intent to Sue for $831 Million In Penalties
PLYMOUTH, MA Cape Cod Bay Watch Source →
Entergy Corporation could be could be liable for up to $831,325,000.00 in civil penalties for polluting Cape Cod Bay at its Pilgrim nuclear reactor. According to a letter sent to the company and federal officials on October 5, 2012 by local residents, since 1996, there have been 33,253 violations of the federal Clean Water Act at the Pilgrim station. The law provides a $25,000.00 civil penalty for each violation.
The letter was sent under the provisions of the federal Clean Water Act, which gives citizens the right to enforce the law if the government fails to do so. Citizens must give the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency written notice of the pollution and a chance to act on the violations. If the agency does not act, citizens can bring a suit after 60 days. Entergy could avoid being sued by reaching an agreement with the citizens or EPA over the violations, and stopping the activities that are alleged to be unlawful. The letter tells the EPA that the citizens may file a lawsuit after 60 days if the agency does not act.
The Pilgrim nuclear power station uses 510 million gallons a day of ocean water for its once-through cooling system. Marine life is harmed by the water intake, and after cycling through Pilgrim, the heated ocean water is discharged at temperatures up to 32 degrees hotter, and sometimes 120 degrees hotter, and containing chemical pollution. Pilgrim has been using the once-through cooling system since 1972, and was recently relicensed for another 20 years by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The letter identifies 15 different types of violations of the Clean Water Act. They include unlawfully discharging into the Bay a chemical used to control corrosion in the station’s pipes, exceeding legal limits for pH and chlorine, discharging total suspended solids and oil and grease without a permit, and failing to properly monitor and report pollutant discharges. The letter also alleges that Entergy has failed to conduct required biological monitoring to assess the impacts of the cooling water system on the Bay. The letter claims the 33,253 violations are documented in Entergy’s own monitoring reports filed with the government every month.
Also on October 5, a group of residents sent a separate notice of intent to sue to the state Department of Environmental Protection for allowing Entergy to damage the environment and failing to enforce the law. The state law allows a “damage to the environment” case to be brought, based on violations of pollution laws. The residents can initiate the state suit 21 days after the October 5 letter if the state does not act.
“Our ocean is not Entergy’s dump. Cape Cod Bay belongs to all of us. Our regulators should be enforcing the laws that prevent this kind of pollution.”Pine duBois, one of three residents who are signatories to the letter
“Our oceans and fisheries are in terrible shape, and stopping Entergy’s pollution is one way to make things better. The Bay belongs to all of us. It is vital to tourism and is part of our natural and marine heritage. Pilgrim has been polluting Cape Cod Bay for over 40 years. Enough is enough.”Meg Sheehan, one of the attorneys representing the residents
State letter: 10/05/12 State Letter 214 7A
Federal letter: 10/05/12 NOI CWA 505
Press Release PDF: 10/08/12 Press Release
Legislators Speak Up
July 27, 2012: Letter from Senator James Eldridge to JRWA & Pilgrim Watch leaders
May 7, 2012: Letter from Governor Deval Patrick to NRC
May 4, 2012: Letter from Senator Therese Murray and State Reps. Vinny deMacedo & Tom Calter to NRC
May 4, 2012: Letter from Congressmen Edward Markey and William Keating to NRC
May 3, 2012: Letter from Senator Dan Wolf to NRC
May 29, 2012: Letter from Senator Dan Wolf to NRC
Charges Against ‘Pilgrim 14′ Move Forward
Casey Meserve, Plymouth Patch Source →
A judge has decided to move forward on civil disobedience charges filed against 14 Cape Cod residents arrested during a protest outside Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in May.
Wednesday afternoon, a Plymouth judge decided to move forward with civil disobedience charges against 14 Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station protestors.
The charges stem from a May 20 protest outside Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. The protestors attempted to deliver a letter of demands to the plant manager. Pilgrim is owned and operated by Entergy Corporation of Louisiana.
Most of the protestors were from Cape Cod and part of a group called “Cape Downwinders”
Michael Risch of Falmouth was one of the protestors arrested. According to WATD, Risch was “Very pleased,” with the judge’s decision. “I’ve been here before and the case was dismissed. I’m not a publicity hound but I like an opportunity for the public to be made aware of various events.”
Another Cape Coder, Elaine Dickinson, rallied outside of Plymouth District Court while the defendants went before the judge. She says the intent of those arrested was to put a spotlight on Entergy’s dangerous power plant.
“Some of our people went to meet with MEMA, a Massachusetts emergency group, and their maps and their plans are contradictory. There is no plan. There is no plan for people on the Cape, other than you go to your local health department and get your potassium iodine pills; that’s what they want us to do and be quiet.”Elaine Dickinson
Twelve out of the 14 protestors arrested will return to court September 15. The other two defendants decided not to challenge the civil disobedience charges and opted to pay a $100 court cost.
NRC caves, Entergy wins… for now.
Despite outstanding contentions on safety and environmental issues; ongoing damage to humans and the marine resources of Cape Cod Bay; critical needs for safety upgrades and improved storage of on-site high-level radioactive waste; lingering worker issues; and plain old commonsense and reason — the NRC issued an outdated and ill-conceived license for Pilgrim to continue to operate for the next twenty years.
Next time you power up a light bulb or any other electrical demand—ask yourself — do I really need to do this? POWER DOWN! And remember: “We are their Yucca Mountain!”
May 24, 2012: Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License for PNPS
Goodbye Entergy-Louisiana
Cape Cod Bay Watch Source →
While Pilgrim was in the middle of a shut down due to a cooling system malfunction, the NRC decided it was time to reissue the 20 year operating license. This is an outrage, and groups vow to continue the fight against the dangerous, polluting reactor in Plymouth.
“Sometimes equipment doesn’t operate as you would hope.”Entergy spokesman Jack Alexander, Entergy Manager of Government Affairs (in State House News Service, Andy Metzger, May 23, 2012)
Well, that about says it, Jack! You’ve admitted Pilgrim isn’t safe and that you can’t ensure that it will operate for another 20 years “the way you would hope”!
Entergy’s accident on May 22 sent superheated water from a backwash operation into Cape Cod Bay. The U.S. EPA and the state DEP are AWOL and refuse to answer our questions about what happened with this outdated cooling water system that’s falling apart.
Meanwhile, Entergy CEO J. Wayne Leonard CEO and lobbyists got their Republican buddies in the House to chastise the NRC for being “unfair” to Entergy. Pilgrim Coalition wrote back, blasting Fred Upton and his cronies on the House Energy and Commerce Committee for doing the bidding of Entergy, a Louisiana carpetbagger making $1-million a day off the backs of Massachusetts ratepayers: May 24, 2012: PC Letter to US House
And then the NRC decides to issue the new license – but the outgoing Chairman of the Commission blasts the decision as unfair to Massachusetts residents who have valid concerns over safety and the environment that have not been addressed. Read the Chairman’s Comments here: May 21, 2012: Jaczko blasts NRC
The NRC’s decision is ILLEGAL and we will pursue the many other avenues available to us to shut Pilgrim down. The fight to shut down Pilgrim has just begun!
New Pilgrim nuke license nears despite NRC chairman’s vote against it
Jon Chesto, The Patriot Ledger Source →
“U.S. Rep. Ed Markey blasted the commission’s approach, accusing it of “short-circuiting the process and short-changing residents by moving forward with license approval before all efforts to improve nuclear and environmental safety at Pilgrim … have been resolved.”
Out of State, Out of Touch: Congressman Upton & colleagues ignore serious public safety issues and environmental violations; trample rights of Pilgrim Nuclear neighbors
Groups Respond to Republican Congressmen’s Demand that NRC Relicense Pilgrim, and Call on EPA to Explain Impacts of Pilgrim’s Cooling Water Malfunction on Cape Cod Bay
May 24, 2012: Letter to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce
“In the week where Pilgrim was shut down due to a cooling water system malfunction and the community gathered on Sunday to raise awareness over safety, Congressman Upton and his colleagues saw fit to do Entergy-Louisiana’s bidding to try to get the NRC to trample the rights of local residents. These Congressmen from Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas are out of touch with what’s happening here in Plymouth.”Pine duBois, Jones River Watershed Association
JRWA & Pilgrim Watch: Third Appeal to NRC
May 14, 2012: Group Appeal to NRC, Docket 50-293LR
Jones River Watershed Association, Inc. (JRWA) and Pilgrim Watch (PW) today filed a third legal challenge in front of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to Entergy’s once-cooling water withdrawals and pollution of Cape Cod Bay.
Entergy is violating state and federal water pollution control laws; lacks two state approvals that are prerequisites to relicensing; and the PNPS environmental impact statement is invalid. The application for relicensing Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) should, and must, be denied because Entergy cannot satisfy NRC regulations.
JRWA has already filed multiple contentions with the NRC for review of impacts to Cape Cod Bay’s natural resources; and is working with Pilgrim Coalition to encourage state agencies to act. Our senators and representatives are doing what they can to ensure the safety of the people and environment of southeastern MA; but citizen support is still crucial.
This is your opportunity to speak! Please show support for more conscientious oversight and safety fixes of the Pilgrim Power Station. For more information and to get involved, visit:
MA Towns Vote in Opposition of Pilgrim
Plymouth — 3/12/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“We The People of Plymouth, Massachusetts, direct the Plymouth Board of Selectmen to call upon the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to immediately suspend all further action on the application of the Entergy Corporation for renewal of its license to operate the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station pending the full implementation of all safety improvements recommended by the NRC as a result of lessons learned from the failures of similarly designed reactors in Fukushima, Japan.”
“FREEZE” PILGRIM’S RE-LICENSING PENDING FUKUSHIMA FIXES! HERE’S WHY:
Pilgrim has the SAME DESIGN and risks as the reactors at Fukushima!
Failed Design: Pilgrim, like the reactors at Fukushima, is a GE Mark I Boiling Water Reactor – a failed design. The NRC years ago recognized that “Mark-I failure within the first few hours following core melt would appear rather likely;" - a 90% likelihood of containment failure.
The events at Fukushima last year demonstrated that the “fix” implemented in the 90’s, the Direct Torus Vent, designed to relieve pressure during an accident, will also fail! Pilgrim’s vent, like Fukushima’s, is neither passively operable (without electricity or human intervention) nor filtered. Both are necessary now to reduce the risk of explosion and containment failure!
Spent Fuel Storage: Pilgrim stores all its "spent fuel" in a pool located on the top floor of the reactor, outside the primary containment, with only a thin roof overhead. It was designed to hold 880 fuel assemblies, but now holds over 3,270. Experts for the Massachusetts Attorney General testified that the pool is vulnerable to a catastrophic fire from loss of water that could cause $488 billion dollars of damage and 24,000 cancers. The NRC knows spent fuel stored in pools poses greater safety and security hazards than if stored in dry casks. Therefore, the NRC must require the immediate transfer of ALL irradiated fuel from the spent fuel pool to dry casks. (Dry casks at Fukushima did not fail!) Until then, Pilgrim needs weeks, not days, of redundant backup power!
Pilgrim may operate in the meantime: The Commissioners of the NRC, despite recommending safety fixes, will not require them as a condition to a new 20-year license. Judge Young (Chairman of the Atomic Safety Licensing Board and dissenter on Pilgrim decisions) stated in a published opinion, that Pilgrim’s license extension should NOT be granted until the full picture from Fukushima is addressed. The Chairman of the NRC, Gregory Jaczko, in a 3-1 vote, agreed in his dissent on the appeal of that decision. Young noted that Entergy need not suffer economically while these fixes are being addressed, as Pilgrim may continue to operate.
This non-binding vote will send a strong message to the NRC to fix it first, and if Pilgrim is re-licensed before May 12, this vote will help persuade the Attorney General to continue the fight in court!
Harwich — 5/15/12 Ballot Question Passed (1,001 to 258)
TENTATIVE LANGUAGE (selectmen are expected to approve this by 4/9 or 4/16):
“Shall the Town of Harwich instruct the Board of Selectmen to write letters requesting the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Governor of Massachusetts to extend the emergency zone and radiological response plan around the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth from a radius of 10 miles to include all of Cape Cod?”
Eastham — 5/7/12 Town Meeting Article Rejected by a narrow margin
“Whereas the people of the Town of Eastham deem the Pilgrim Nuclear facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts to present a clear and present danger to our town and to the people of Cape Cod and beyond, we resolve to call upon both the House and the Senate of the General Court of Massachusetts to deny the Pilgrim Nuclear facility a new license for now and forever; or to take any other action relative thereto.”
Brewster — 5/7/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“Whereas the people of the Town of Brewster deem the Pilgrim Nuclear facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts to present a clear and present danger to our town and to the people of Cape Cod and beyond, we resolve to call upon both the House and the Senate of the General Court of Massachusetts to deny the Pilgrim Nuclear facility a new license for now and forever; or to take any other action relative thereto.”
Truro — 4/24/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
To see if the town of Truro will approve the following Resolution Opposing the Extension of the Operating License of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station for an Additional 20 Years:
“Whereas, the Pilgrim Nuclear plant, 26 miles across the bay from Truro, will complete its 40-year design lifetime in June 2012, is of the same design and make as those that exploded and melted down in Fukushima, Japan, and could have an accident similar to the Fukushima accident were there to be an extended loss of electricity to the plant; and
Whereas, Truro is downwind of the Pilgrim nuclear plant, but there is no radiological emergency plan whatsoever for Cape Cod, and in case of a serious accident it would be impossible to escape from Truro to the mainland via jammed Route 6; and
Whereas, the Pilgrim spent fuel pool contains nearly 4 times the highly radioactive spent fuel rods it was designed to contain, is located outside the reinforced containment area and vulnerable to catastrophic loss of coolant in an accident, a terrorist attack, or other emergency, and there is no repository for spent fuel in the United States; and
Whereas, at a State House hearing on April 6, 2011 in response to a question from State Senator Dan Wolf, the Independent System Operator New England, which coordinates the electrical power systems for our region testified that there are other sources of power to replace what would be lost if Pilgrim was shut down—the lights have stayed on during all past outages at Pilgrim;
Therefore Be it resolved that the people of Truro call on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deny the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station an extension of its license to operate for an additional twenty years beyond the 40 years it was designed for; and Requests the Town Clerk to send written copies of this Resolution to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; to the Governor and the Attorney General of Massachusetts, and to our state and federal legislators.”
Dennis — 5/15/12 Ballot Question Passed
On May 15, Dennis Voters PASSED the following ballot question:
“Whereas Pilgrim nuclear power station has been operating on our shores for 40 years and is of the same design and make as those that exploded in Fukushima, Japan in 2011, and;
Whereas there are no radiological emergency plans for Cape Cod, even though we are down wind from the power station over half of the time, and;
Whereas both bridges will be closed to off Cape Traffic if there is an accident at the power station. We will be stranded, and;
Whereas the spent fuel pool is housing 4 times the spent fuel rods it was designed for and there is no repository for spent fuel in the United States and moreover this fuel pool is outside the reinforced containment area and so is vulnerable to terrorist acts or other problematic happenings, and;
Whereas Independent System Operator of New England, which coordinates the electric power grid says “the lights will stay on if Pilgrim’s license is not renewed,”
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, THE PEOPLE OF DENNIS ASK THAT:
The pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, whose license expires this year, should not be re-licensed for another 20 years.
The Dennis Town Clerk shall send these requests to: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Governor of Massachusetts, the Attorney General of Massachusetts, the state and federal legislators and Entergy Corporation (the owners of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station).”
Provincetown — 4/4/12 Town Meeting Article Passed with no opposition or discusion
Article 28. Shut the Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Down (Resolution)
Board of Selectmen Does Not Recommend: 5-0-0
Finance Committee Has No Recommendation
“Whereas: The license to operate the Pilgrim Nuclear Plant has almost run out;
Whereas: The disaster in Japan of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant has forced the evacuation of all people within 25 miles;
Whereas: The prevailing winds on Cape Cod are from the Southwest where we can see the Pilgrim plant;
Whereas: Geographically it is impossible to evacuate Cape Cod without exposing all evacuees to radiation;
Whereas: We are really not in need of that power plant;
Barbara Rushmore moved to see if the Town will vote this Resolution: We petition our Massachusetts Congressional Delegates and Senators, our Governor, Deval Patrick, the Attorney General of Massachusetts, Martha Coakley and our President, Barack Obama to urge the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to not renew the License to Operate the Pilgrim Nuclear Plant; or to take any other action relative thereto.” Motion Passed.
Full summary at the Town Clerk’s website: Provincetown – Town Meeting Decisions
Mashpee — 5/7/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“To see if the Town will vote to Oppose the continued operation of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) until all safety improvements recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a result of lessons learned from the failures of similarly designed reactors in Fukushima, Japan have been fully implemented; and requests the NRC to immediately suspend all further action on the application of the Entergy Corporation for renewal of its license to operate PNPS until after such full implementation has been accomplished.” Recommended by Selectmen 4-0.
Marshfield — 4/24/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“Will the town of Marshfield, Massachusetts support the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) postponing a final decision on Pilgrim’s application to extend its license an additional 20 years until all safety improvements recommended by the NRC, as a result of lessons learned from the failures of similarly designed reactors in Fukushima, Japan are understood and fully implemented?
The Clerk of Marshfield shall forward the text and vote from this article to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Entergy Corp., so that the intent of the citizens of Marshfield is widely known.”
Scituate — 4/9/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“That the Town of Scituate, Massachusetts opposes the relicensing of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) until all safety improvements recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a result of lessons learned from the failures of similarly designed reactors in Fukushima, Japan have been fully implemented; and request the NRC to immediately suspend all further action on the application of Entergy Corporation for renewal of its license to operate PNPS until such full implementaion has been accomplished.
The Clerk of Scituate shall foward the text of this article to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Town of Scituate’s state and federal delegations, the Selectboards within the Emergency Planning Zone of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, and Entergy Corporation so that the intent of the citizens of Scituate is widely known, or take any other action relative thereto.”
Kingston — 4/11/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“The Town of Kingston, Massachusetts opposes continued operation of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) until all safety improvements recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a result of lessons learned from the failures of similarly designed reactors in Fukushima, Japan, have been fully implemented and requests the NRC to immediately suspend all further action on the application of the Entergy Corporation for renewal of its license to operate PNPS until such full implementation has been accomplished.
The clerk of Kingston shall forward the text of this article to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Town of Kingston’s State and Federal delegations, the Select Boards within the Emergency Planning Zone of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, and Entergy Corporation, so that the intent of the citizens of Kingston is widely known.”
Duxbury — 3/10/12 Town Meeting Article Passed
“The Town of Duxbury, Massachusetts opposes continued operation of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) until all safety improvements recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a result of lessons learned from the failures of similarly designed reactors in Fukushima, Japan have been fully implemented; and requests the NRC to immediately suspend all further action on the application of the Entergy Corporation for renewal of its license to operate PNPS until such full implementation has been accomplished.
The Clerk of Duxbury shall forward the text of this article to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Town of Duxbury’s State and Federal delegations, the Select Boards within the Emergency Planning Zone of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, and Entergy Corp., so that the intent of the citizens of Duxbury is widely known.”
Governor Patrick seeks Pilgrim nuke plant review
Patrick Cassidy, Cape Cod Times Source →
There are a number of serious concerns that have been raised regarding public safety, public health and the environment, and I request that the NRC thoroughly consider these matters prior to making any decision on Pilgrim’s license renewal applicationGovernor Deval Patrick
Challenge to USFWS Finding on Roseate Tern: ESA Violation
May 2, 2012: ESA Violation Request & Exhibits
Today JRWA and Pilgrim Watch filed a legal appeal with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission claiming that the NRC, Entergy, and USFWS violated the Endangered Species Act by finding that relicensing of Pilgrim will have “no effect” on the roseate tern.
Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission Opposes Relicensing of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station
“…until we can be assured that there is no threat to public safety and adverse environmental impact, the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission stands in opposition to the relicensing of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant.”
Environmental groups make legal, political moves to slow down Pilgrim relicensing
The Manomet Current Source →
Citizens Ask Governor to Ensure That All Safety and Environmental Concerns Are Resolved Before Pilgrim is Relicensed by the NRC
May 7, 2012: Governor Patrick’s Response to NRC
April 27, 2012: Letter to Gov. Patrick (Revised 4/30)
Time-sensitive Response to NRC Staff Request for Pilgrim Relicensing by May 8, 2012
April 30, 2012: Pilgrim Watch & JRWA Joint Opposition to SECY-12-0062
April 13, 2012: SECY-12-0062
Supplemental Information Potentially Relevant and Material to Proceeding for the Renewal of Full-Power Operating License for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station
April 12, 2012: Letter to NMFS
Groups Say Endangered Species at Risk From Entergy’s Pilgrim Station
February 6, 2012: JRWA Letter to NMFS
Entergy’s Pilgrim nuclear power station on the shores of Cape Cod Bay in Plymouth, Massachusetts may be impacting endangered species like the fin whale, loggerhead turtles, the critical habitat for the endangered Northern right whale, and river herring. In a letter to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Jones River Watershed Association and Pilgrim Watch say the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) likely violated the federal Endangered Species Act in the relicensing process by ignoring potential impacts to the endangered species and their habitat.
1988 Archive: Restart of the Pilgrim I Nuclear Powerplant
Hearing before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, second session
January 7, 1988 | Plymouth, MA
Published 1988 by U.S. G.P.O. Archive @ openlibrary.org →
Available formats:
Read Online (~882 pg) Text File (1.5 M) PDF (34.5 M) B/W PDF (24.0 M) EPUB (~882 pg) Kindle (~882 pg) Daisy (~882 pg) DjVu (15.8 M)
The testimony in this report includes the following statements:
“The presence of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS)-related isotopes has been documented offsite in shellfish, ocean fish, algae, ocean floor sediment, and garden produce. In addition, PNPS-related isotopes are present in water samples from the discharge canal, and a single isotope, H-3 (Tritium), has been found in a nearby pond. Onsite locations that monitor for airborne radiation are positive for Co-60 (Cobalt).*”
“Cesium (Cs-137), Cobalt (Co-60), and Tritium (H-3) have been present in discharge canal samples. H-3 has been found at Bartlett Pond. These isotopes, according to Boston Edison, are attributed to operation of PNPS.”
“Samples from the discharge canal have been positive for Mn-54, Zn-65, Co-60, Co-58, and C8-137. Samples from Manomet Point have been positive for Mn-54, Co-60, Cs-137, Zn-65. Testing for Co-60, Cs-137 has been positive in Warren Cove samples. According to Boston Edison, all of these isotopes are attributable to operation of PNPS.”
“Algae samples are collected quarterly from the discharge canal, Manomet Point, and Ellisville. Samples from the discharge canal have demonstrated Zn-65, Cs-137, Mn-54, Co-58 and Co-60. Algae from Manomet Point have demonstrated Mn-54 and Co-60. Ellisville has been positive for Mn-54 and Co-60. According to Boston Edison, all of these isotopes are attributable to operation of PNPS.”