Nuke plant's owners seek OK to dip into decommissioning fund
MONTPELIER, Vt.—Vermont Yankee's owners want to use money from a decommissioning fund set up to pay for the nuclear plant's eventual dismantling for storing spent fuel instead, drawing criticism from lawmakers.
"Our decision about continued operation of our nuclear power plant should not be based on whether it needs to continue to operate to fully fund its decommissioning trust fund," said state Rep. Sarah Edwards, P-Brattleboro.
The Vernon nuclear plant currently has about $420 million in a trust fund intended to pay for the work necessary to mothball it once it closes, but the actual cost of taking it off-line could be closer to $800 million.
The Vermont Legislature passed a bill last week that would require the infusion of more money -- or some financial guarantees -- into the fund. It is currently awaiting the signature of Gov. Jim Douglas.
In an exchange of letters this week, owners Entergy Nuclear and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission sparred over the wisdom of the company's proposal to use $157 million from the decommissioning fund to pay for storage of spent fuel from the reactor.
"How are these costs to be funded recognizing the decommissioning trust fund is required by NRC regulations for radiological decommissioning and not for spent fuel management costs or other non-radiological costs?" the NRC said in a letter to Entergy Nuclear.
In response, Entergy Nuclear officials said that if Vermont Yankee gets the OK for a license extension that would allow it to remain operating past its scheduled 2012 closing, it would give more time for the decommissioning fund to grow.
"A key point is that the license renewal will be resolved in the near future," said
On Sunday, John Dreyfuss, director of nuclear safety and assurance for Vermont Yankee, issued a statement denying the company is planning a raid on the decommissioning fund.
"The first step in decommissioning a nuclear plant like Vermont Yankee is to remove the spent fuel from the storage pool and secure it in dry casks in the high-security area outside the plant and on the site grounds for safekeeping prior to dismantling of the rest of the plant," Dreyfuss' statement said.
Of the $800 million the plant expects to spend on decommissioning, he said, "$157 million of that cost is specifically for this preliminary step of placing the fuel in casks."
But lawmakers and critics are leery.
"This is a smoke screen to try to force Vermont to relicense Vermont Yankee until 2032," said Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear safety expert and Vermont Yankee critic.
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