I hope the band-aids used to fix leaks at Vermont Yankee hold.  I wish I had faith in the statement “they’ve stopped a leak.”  Perhaps this is one statement from Entergy’s out-of-state corporate executives that acutally is true and reliable.  Unfortunately, the public’s confidence in Vermont Yankee is badly torn, and not easily mended. 

Even if the broken pipes are repaired, all the problems are not fixed.  Vermont Yankee and regulators allowed leaks to pollute the enviornment for over two months. 

Uncontrolled and unmonitored releases of radioactiviely contaminated water are illegal.  The pollution from these leaks is still in the ground and in our water.  This is unacceptable.

There are still old, underground pipes at Vermont Yankee.  The fact that there were leaks in these old pipes that Energy denied even existed, indicates there are bigger problems.  Lax oversight, sloppy management, and poor performance allowed problems to sit and fester.  These old pipes and this old plant are not safe or reliable.

Vermont Yankee will be allowed to continue to leak and pollute.  On March 10, 2010, the Vermont Public Service Board held an initial hearing on CLF’s request to close the plant until the leaks are repaired.  

Unfortunately, Yankee will continue to operate at least until it shuts down for refueling in late April.  I have little doubt that when it does shut down for refueling, the leaks will be found and repaired.  The sad part is that since early January, Vermont Yankee has been allowed to continue to operate with ongoing leaks of radioactive waste from pipes Yankee told regulators never even existed.  The leaks and the lies should stop.  Entergy should not get a free pass to pollute.

If my car is leaking oil, I stop the car and fix the leak.  We should expect the same from an operator of a nuclear power plant.

Entergy — the owner of Vermont Yankee — claimed yesterday it should not be required to give regulators accurate information on the leaks, the impacts of the leaks and its efforts to stop them.  They are busy trying to fix the leaks and the requested reporting apparently would be some sort of distraction.  CLF responded that a company as large as Entergy should be able to “walk and chew gum at the same time.”  If Entergy has time to make daily public announcements about what is going on, why can’t they make those statements under oath?  And if they can’t, what are they hiding?

Join CLF in asking the VT Public Service Board, the NRC and the VT health Department to shut Vermont Yankee down until the leaks are repaired.

Learn more about CLF VT Yankee Advocacy

Update: News articles in Boston Globe, Salem News and Boston Business Journal about this announcement.

Puts Dominion Energy On Notice Of Clean Air Act Lawsuit

BOSTON, MA (January 27, 2010) In a continuing effort to bring the Salem Harbor Station coal-fired power plant into compliance with the federal Clean Air Act, Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) today announced that it intends to file a federal suit against Dominion Energy of New England for ongoing violations of smokestack emissions limits. The suit focuses on the emissions of particulate matter – small particles of chemicals, metals and ash which have been linked to severe health and environmental problems.

If successful, the suit would hold Dominion responsible for paying millions of dollars in penalties retroactively for violations of the smokestack emissions limits. The violations are documented in Dominion’s own quarterly reports of mandatory monitoring at the Salem Harbor Station power plant.

“These continuing violations show that Dominion Energy is indifferent to the hazards it is imposing on the residents of Salem and the neighboring communities,” said Shanna Cleveland, staff attorney for CLF. “Dominion Energy must be held accountable for abiding by the laws that are meant to protect our health and the environment. If it cannot meet those standards, then we have to ask why this dirty, obsolete coal-fired power plant should be allowed to continue to operate.”

For two decades, CLF, along with residents of Salem and neighboring communities, has fought to force Dominion, and before them the prior owners of the plant, to clean up or shut down Salem Harbor Station. The plant has a long history of violations related to its coal-burning operations, repeatedly exceeding legal limits on the discharge of known pollutants including, over time, mercury, coal ash and now, soot.

Recent studies have shown that even short-term exposure to soot has been linked to higher rates of hospitalization for heart and respiratory problems. Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable, experiencing health problems ranging from decreased lung function to premature death. Jane Bright, of the public health advocacy group Healthlink stated, “The soot that Dominion is pumping into our air has been proven to be damaging to the health of our community. It is outrageous that they have been routinely exceeding limits on these dangerous emissions, while leading us to believe otherwise.”

Residents throughout the North Shore feel the effects of Salem Harbor Station’s toxic plume. Lori Ehrlich, state representative for Marblehead, Swampscott and parts of Lynn stated, “I see that filthy plume heading right for my community and I want to tell everyone to hold their breath. Instead, we endure the daily assault of black soot that sticks to everything from our cars to our throats. The people of this region should not be forced to pay for the effects of Dominion’s negligence with their health, while Dominion continues to get off scot free.”

“Moving beyond coal is vital to fighting climate change and creating a green economy in Salem and throughout the Commonwealth,” said Jeff Barz-Snell of the community group SAFE (Salem Alliance for the Environment). “The time has come for Dominion to invest in cleaning up Salem Harbor Station, or make way for clean energy solutions like energy efficiency, solar and wind.”

Lisa Abbate, with the Salem citizen’s group A Vision for Salem, is advocating for a clean alternative for the Salem Harbor Station site. “Salem Harbor Station takes much more away from our communities than it gives. We need to take bold steps to shut the plant down and move swiftly toward the cleaner future we all envision for Salem and the surrounding region – for our health, for our environment and for our economy.

NOTE: Photos of Salem Harbor Station’s plume are available on Flickr.

The bad news: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced a resolution designed to tamper with the science driven regulatory process of Greenhouse gas emissions by the U.S.E.P.A.

The good news: The two Republican Senators from Maine, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, courageously refused to follow their party line and did not sign on to the resolution.

“Maine should be proud to have two senators with the courage to do the right thing for Maine and the country when it comes to critical environmental issues,” said Sean Mahoney, director of the Conservation Law Foundation’s Maine Advocacy Center.  ”Unlike Senator Gregg of New Hampshire and his Republican cohort of climate change deniers, Senator Snowe and Senator Collins withstood the pressure of party politics and did not join in this attack on the authority of the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide as an air pollutant. This country needs to address the harmful impacts of carbon dioxide emissions and, in the absence of new federal climate legislation, it is vital that the EPA retain that authority under the existing Clean Air Act.”

UPDATE: Sadly, when push came to shove on the Senate floor both Senators Snowe and Collins voted against science and climate protection and in favor of the Murkowski resolution.

Who would have thought that Wearing Blue would turn out to be such a huge national event?  The interest in today’s Wear Blue for Oceans events is proliferating like so many amphipods. There are 13 “formal” events including the CLF and Ocean River Institute event in Cambridge. I’ll be with a hundred or so blue attired folks at Lafayette Park (in front of the White House) in Washington, DC. The public interest is coming from all over the country in about as many ways as people can express their love and desire for a healthy living ocean. One of my fave’s is the Beach Chair Scientist’s rendition of ”Love me Blue.” Meanwhile, friend and colleague Sarah Chasis of NRDC has this to say in the HuffingtonPost. And, the Wear Blue Facebook friends group is now over 1500 and Sherman’s Lagoon is Wearing Blue in about 200 papers nation-wide. This all came about in the last six weeks, which, I think, we can all admit is a pretty awesome effort.

What’s all the excitement about? The Obama Administration is leading on a issue that should have been addressed about, let’s say, 100 years ago by developing the country’s first ever national policy for how we protect and manage our coasts, oceans and Great Lakes. It is about time we address the stunning impacts of polluting, developing, overfishing, and drilling of our oceans in a more comprehensive fashion and stop pretending that the piecemeal approach is workable. The foundation of a strong National Ocean Policy needs to be the protection, restoration and maintenance of ocean and coastal ecosystems. We need real habitat protection for those special places in New England’s oceans. We need to give declining ocean wildlife species a better leg to stand on so they aren’t just treated as an afterthought. We are moving ahead in Massachusetts with better planning, ecosystem protection and facilitating clean, renewable energy. We can do that in the other coastal states. Wear your blue today, show you care and don’t stop there. Help use this opportunity of a lifetime to create the change we need for the next 100 years.

Happy Blue Year! With all the great progress we are making CLF is expecting 2010 to be one of the best years for America’s oceans and coasts yet. Earlier this week we declared a pretty major victory in Massachusetts with the completion of the much anticipated Mass Ocean Plan.  Not to be outdone, President Obama’s hardworking Ocean Policy Task Force is driving towards the finish line on the nation’s first ever comprehensive policy for oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. Part of the effort is to include a vital framework for coastal and marine spatial planning so we can finally stop managing our oceans with a single issue by issue approach. Poor management leads to more environmental impacts whether the cause is overfishing, drilling for oil, pollution or badly planned coastal development. 

One of the most stylish things you can do to kick off the Happy Blue Year is to be a part of Wear Blue for Oceans Day on next Wednesday, Jan. 13. Wear Blue Day is a fun way to show the Obama administration that we want a strong national ocean policy and they need to deliver on the full promise of protecting and restoring our oceans and coasts. You can join in a Wear Blue event like the CLF/Ocean River Institute event in Cambridge, Mass., you and some friends can Share Blue by creating your own event or you can join the fun by sending in a photo or video of You in Blue to the Wear Blue website. CLF and our colleagues will make sure that President Obama’s staff see the full spread.

Wear Blue on Wednesday, January 13th and show some love for New England’s oceans and coasts.

Yesterday the Commonwealth of Massachusetts released the final management for all of the state’s ocean waters. Despite centuries of land use planning experience in the US, this is the first time in history that a state has developed such a comprehensive approach to planning uses of the ocean. This is a true victory for our oceans and all who use them. Much congratulations to Gov. Patrick and the hard working people in the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs who were working on the details through the holidays. Read the joint release CLF and Mass Audubon issued yesterday.

What does it mean for the economy? A study by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management estimates the annual output of the state’s marine economy at $14.8 billion a year. The results of better planning will help facilitate more responsible use and enable a serious leap to development of clean, renewable energy that will add to the economy. For me, I like that we have a state plan that protects special places and ocean wildlife habitat (about two-thirds of the state’s waters are protected in one way or another) so that we can continue to enjoy the waters, beaches and bays for a few more generations. Let it be an example to all other states!

News flash:  The Vermont legislative committee reviewing the Douglas Administration’s 11th-hour proposal to open state parks, forests, and wildlife management and natural areas to ATV use voted unanimously to object to the rule.  The bi-partisan vote 7-0 signals major legislative concern about the policy change the agency is proposing–currently state lands are closed to ATVs except to enable handicap access in limited circumstances–and the manner in which the agency tried to make this change.

Though this vote presents a major potential obstacle to the Agency’s plan to open state lands to this high-risk, high-impact activity, I’ve written before on this blog about how the Agency could still choose to move forward despite the objection.  For the full story read my “Riding Roughshod Part 2” post or check out the press clips collected on CLF’s web site.

For now, the legislature has done the right thing by erecting a roadblock.  But Republican Governor Jim Douglas isn’t running for re-election.  ATVers have been a loyal constituency for this governor and he’ll stop at nothing to repay that loyalty, the rule of law and public opinion be-damned.  Whether the Douglas Administration and the leaders at ANR decide to ride roughshod over the Committee objection remains to be seen. 

CLF is working hard to protect Vermont's sensitive public lands from this kind of abuse

For those of us concerned about negative impacts of ATV use in Vermont including but not limited to:

•  increased air, noise, and water pollution
•  threats to wildlife (both game species and rare, threatened and endangered species) and wildlife habitat
• the spread of invasive plants as the forest is disturbed to cut new trails
• added public safety risks
• conflicts between motorized and nonmotorized users
• rampant and destructive illegal off-trail riding
• overburdening of a state agency that has been devastated by budget cuts and cannot fulfill all of its basic land management dutie even without the added responsibility of montioring construction, maintenance, and enforcement around a new motorized trail network

now is the time to ask the full legislature to make a stand on this important issue.  For more information on how you can help, please contact CLF’s Vermont office!

If you’re like me, you’re genuinely afraid of the global-warming future we’re facing if humankind doesn’t get serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions A WHOLE LOT AND REAL FAST.

Like Al Gore and spiritual leaders from many faiths, you and me understand that global warming is a moral issue.  We also understand that unchecked global warming will wreak (and is wreaking) havoc with almost all facets of our economy ranging from food supply to the insurance industry (and we’ve already seen with AIG how human decisions affecting the insurance industry ripple throughout the entire economy).  If all that wasn’t bad enough, scientists have also predicted that continued rises in greenhouse gas emissions will deepen (and in some cases already is deepening) other existing ecological crises like water pollution,  ocean acidification, and species extinction.

So like me, I am sure you want to do every thing you can in your personal life and your civic life as a voter in the U.S.–the second largest overall greenhouse gas polluter in the world–to shrink the world’s carbon footprint.  You’ve done all the easy stuff–tires are pumped up, light bulbs are switched.  And you’ve done the smart thing by joining CLF, supporting our work on climate change solutions like energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean cars, and public transportation.

Now there’s another thing you can do to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.  It’s something many of us have been meaning to do for years: LOSE WEIGHT.

That’s right, by finally shedding our unwanted pounds we could be contributing to carbon emissions cuts too.  According to the International Journal of Epidemiology, 2009, the world could save 1.1 Billion Tonnes in carbon emissions from transportation sources and from industrial food-production if a population of 1 Billion people went from being obese to being lean.  The study authors reason that the more weight a car or plane has to carry, the more fossil fuel it has to burn to get us where we are going.  In addition, the authors indicate that obese people need more food energy to make it through the day.  That’s more food we have to grow and transport to market referred to by one author as “the oil we eat.”

1.1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions is nothing to scoff at.  According to an EPA website: “[C]arbon dioxide emissions from oil combustion jumped 1.1 billion metric tons between 1960 and 2001, accounting for 40% of the total increase in U.S. carbon emissions. The transportation sector primarily drove this increase. Carbon dioxide emissions from coal also climbed 1.1 billion metric tons between 1960 and 2001, accounting for another 40% of the total increase in U.S. carbon emissions. Increased electricity generation from coal-fired power plants primarily fueled this rapid growth.”

The Journal of Epidemiology study thus provides us with yet another compelling reason to reform our big industrial food complex and the bad eating habits it’s fostered in America and other wealthy nations.  As Michael Pollan has observed : “Cheap food is going to be popular as long as the social and environmental costs of that food are charged to the future.”  Now we’ve got even more evidence that increased global warming pollution is among the many social and environmental costs we are charging to the future by fattening ourselves up.

This gives a whole new meaning to the term “Low carbon diet.”