Town may try to form alliance of nuclear hosts
Nuclear plant hosts may unite
Believing that there's strength in numbers, Plymouth officials hope to form a national alliance of communities affected by nuclear power plants to better the town's bargaining position with Congress, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the nuclear power industry.
``We're not unique," said Jean Loewenberg , vice chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen. While the 100-plus towns across the country that host nuclear power plant s may have slightly different issues, ``we certainly have more in common than not," she said.
The Pilgrim nuclear power plant, located on Plymouth's Manomet shore line, has applied to federal regulators for a 20-year extension of its operating license. Plymouth town officials are negotiating with pilgrim's owner,
Town officials have discovered it's not easy to get the attention of higher levels of government, Loewenberg said, and, ``It would be harder for the federal government to ignore over a hundred of us."
Issues on which nuclear host communities might join forces include storage of nuclear waste, security, and emergency planning, said Plymouth officials. According to the NRC, there are currently 103 operating nuclear reactors.
The idea of a national alliance of communities affected by nuclear power plants originated with the town's Nuclear Matters Committee . ``I think the general consensus of most of the people who have to deal with the NRC is the NRC has very strict regulations that impede the ability of the communities to accomplish the things they need to accomplish," said Jeff Berger , the group's chairman.
For the alliance effort to continue, selectman must charge the Nuclear Matters Committee with the task. Richard Quintal, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said he expects his board to deliver that authorization soon.
Strict rules on relicensing limit the process to two areas -- safety issues stemming from physical plant aging and environmental impacts. Some local officials see that as too restrictive, and would like to lobby for broader considerations.
Will other nuclear host towns be inclined to join an alliance?
``I think it's something we would be interested in learning about," said Susan Tolchin, director of communications for New York's Westchester County, where the Indian Point nuclear plant is located. ``It's a subject we're all interested in."
Tolchin said county officials are seeking to make the argument that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would never license a nuclear plant today in Westchester, a major population center close to New York City. But Westchester officials may need to bring that issue to Congress, she said.
The NRC is overseen by Congress, Berger said, and Congress is likely to respond if the cry for changes grows louder. ``It's not enough for one community to cry in the wilderness about the NRC," he said.
While it's true that Congress has oversight over the NRC, spokesman Neil Sheehan said by e-mail last week, the NRC is an independent agency. ``It takes us a significant amount of time and effort to develop new regulations and, once achieved, we do not change them without good cause," he said.
He defended the agency's license renewal regulations: ``A great deal of work went into developing them and we believe they work well."
Plymouth officials have suggested that some of the money collected from plant operators to fund disposal of nuclear waste be dispersed to the host communities, in recognition that on-site waste storage continues within the plants. If a federal disposal site for nuclear waste doesn't emerge before the plant eventually shuts down, said Quintal , ``that stuff's going to sit here."
Entergy spokesman David Tarantino said his company, like all reactor operators, pays into the fund every year. The total is about $20 billion , he said.
Plymouth officials believe the town's willingness to spend money to hire a top-flight professional negotiator to make a new deal with Entergy will make other communities listen harder to Plymouth's appeal to join in a political front.
Last month, Plymouth's Town Meeting approved spending $1.76 million to hire Duane Morris LLP , a law firm that has represented large companies and dealt with the nuclear industry before, to negotiate a new payment in lieu of taxes agreement with officials at Entergy.
Officials said the expense is justified because millions of dollars are at stake over the course of a multiyear agreement. While Entergy currently pays the town $1.5 million , its license renewal application triggered the renegotiation of its payment agreement with the town.
``I think Plymouth's contracting with Duane Morris will make a huge difference " when the town approaches other host communities, Berger said .
``They'll look at Plymouth and say, . . . `We need to be in that place.' "
Nationally, 42 reactors have received approval for license extensions and nine -- including Vermont Yankee -- are under review, according to Sheehan.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received commitments for another 30 applications, and the nuclear industry has indicated that virtually every plant currently in operation is expected to pursue relicensing.
Robert Knox can be reached at rc.knox@gmail.com. 
