The nuclear waste storage appeal was rejected by the Plymouth zoning board this week, which gives the green light for Entergy, the owner of Pilgrim I, to move spent fuel rods from the overcrowded storage pool, to a more secure dry cask storage.
IMO, this decision is a serious blow to anti-nuclear activists, who were trying to block the permit granting the construction of the dry cast storage devices. Even though Pilgrim was granted another 20 year operation license recently, and may I add, worked flawlessly since opening in the early 70’s, what good is it if you have no more room to store the waste? I believe all the hoopla by those voicing opposition to granting Entergy their permit, was simply a backdoor attempt to shut down Pilgrim, prematurely. “But Pilgrim is rapidly running of room. In two years there won’t be any space left in the pool and Pilgrim will have to shut down unless a new waste storage site can be built outside of the reactor building.” Yucca Mountain, anyone?
Why the protests by the anti-nukes crowd? They say it is b/c they fear these containers may be underwater in 50 years (sound familiar). “Nobody knows how much seawater is going to rise. Ten years, maybe not enough. Fifty years, 100 years, 150? No one also knows how long that thing is going to be there,” James Lampert said. “Are those casks going to be under water?”
I don’t buy it, and thankfully, neither did the Plymouth zoning board. Now, if only our governor would approach Entergy and see what they would need to build Pilgrim II. Some low interest loans, fast-track permitting process, and a few tax credits equal to Evergreen Solar, and we would have a 10 year economic boom that would dwarf the jobs created by slots and casinos.
http://www.wbur.org/2013/07/10/pilgrim-nuclear-waste-permit
John Tehan says
DFTT
gmoke says
April 11, 1986 Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
Recurring equipment problems force emergency shutdown of Boston Edison’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant at a cost of 1,001,000,000 dollars (in 2008 dollars)
I also remember that low level radioactive waste from Pilgrim was illegally dumped, perhaps for years, in regular garbage dumps.
Wouldn’t call that flawless operation by a long shot.
However, the move to dry cask storage is better than keeping all that waste in the regular “swimming pools,” especially since the Pilgrim plant shares it’s design with the Fukushima plants, including waste fuel storage outside of the containment structure.
John Tehan says
DFTT means Don’t Feed The Troll, but I’m sure you know that. Please don’t reply to his nonsense – it’s like that old adage:
Whenever you see a post from DFW, reply DFTT or not at all. Eventually he’ll tire of being here and go haunt some other board.
danfromwaltham says
I’m not here to selling goods and services for profit, I am here offering commentary on news items that may/should interest the good folks here on BMG.
Tell you what John001, do a post specifically about voting me off the site. If you get 25 people who really dislike me, who see me as a threat, and wish me gone, I will leave until next year. You are aware I am voting for Brownsberger, and know I can scortch some earth on a political opponent. Fear not, I just happen to like Will, nothing personal (yet) against the others.
25 is all you need John001, shouldn’t be too dificult. I hope my friend, johnk, does not turn out to be my Brutus 🙂
danfromwaltham says
As you may know (if you read most of what I write) I lived in Plymouth back in the early 80’s and heard a rumor Boston Edison (owner at the time) dumped waste on the site, and paved over it. If they actually tossed the waste out with the garbage, it would have ended up at the landfill on Long Pond Rd. I just don’t buy it, people would have gone to jail, etc.
I sort of recall the issues you mentioned, didnt know it was 2008, that recent. When I say flawlessly, perhaps an exaggeration, but pretty close, no?
If you click the link, Pilgrim has their diesel generators buried, so the ocean can’t flood them out, as what happened in Japan. The new nuclear power plants can’t even have a meltdown, even if you tried. That’s how safe they are, why we should invest in one. Pilgrim II would be twice as powerful and 1000X safer than Pilgrim I, so I believe we should make it happen.