Vermont Lawmakers Want More Input on NRC Rulemaking

The Vermont congressional delegation — Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), and Rep. Peter Welch (D) — is requesting that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission extend the public comment period for its proposed decommissioning rulemaking, and host public meetings in states where plants are either in the process of or scheduled for dismantling.

The NRC held a public meeting on the rulemaking Wednesday at its headquarters in Rockville, Md., soliciting feedback on decommissioning regulations and trust funds, among other topics. Sanders, Leahy, and Welch said one meeting isn’t enough, and asked NRC Chairman Stephen Burns to extend the public comment period deadline from Jan. 4 to Feb. 4.

“While we commend the NRC for proposing these long overdue regulations, we believe the short public comment period and the plan to have a single public meeting will not give local and state stakeholders sufficient opportunities to participate meaningfully in the rulemaking process,” the lawmakers said in a letter Tuesday.
 

The letter goes on to say that expanding public comment will more broadly engage host communities in the decommissioning process, “which has unfortunately lacked a satisfactory role in the decommissioning planning process to date.” With the rulemaking’s tentative 2019 deadline, the delegation requested the NRC implement existing regulations, instead of approving routine exemptions from current requirements on safety, emergency response, security, and financial surety.

In November, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, state Public Service Department, and two utilities filed a petition with the NRC concerning Entergy’s Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, which closed at the end of 2014. The group requested that the agency conduct a “comprehensive review” to ensure the decommissioning fund is being used for proper purposes.