Rutland Herald
Entergy
Nuclear is committed to building upon the more than three decades of experience
Vermont Yankee employees have protecting the waters of the
Our ongoing river studies
are now the most extensive, long-term studies of the health of the
The plant withdraws water
from the river to cool steam from the turbine generator which produces
electricity for
Vermont Yankee would like
to increase plant efficiency and produce more electricity for consumers by
proposing to change the permit that regulates our use of the river for cooling.
We presently have an application before the Vermont Agency of Natural
Resources, the regulatory body that issues the permit and oversees our
continued compliance.
The ANR permit regulates
the plant’s discharge of heated water by measuring the river’s constantly
changing upstream temperature. As the upstream temperatures get naturally
warmer over the summer, a lower temperature limit is applied to the plant’s
cooling water as it is returned to the river. Vermont Yankee must adjust to
those temperature variances through the use of cooling
towers that use evaporation to cool down the water before it is returned to the
river.
In the current application,
we propose to raise the downstream temperature limits by one degree in the
summer months but only when the river is less than 78 degrees. We have
presented to the ANR a large amount of information supporting conclusions based
on our long-term environmental studies and computer modeling programs. We
believe there is a sound scientific basis that a slight change in the current
temperature limit will not adversely affect the river environment.
It the past, environmental
river studies have supported Vermont Yankee in similar permit change requests.
Beginning in 1978, the ANR granted changes to the permit to allow reduced
wintertime cooling tower operation and later reduced summertime cooling tower
operation beginning in 1990.
Our proposal to ANR would
produce an environmental benefit: By returning slightly warmer water with less
evaporative cooling, Vermont Yankee would be able to return more water to the
river and its ecosystem. This is particularly important when river flows are
low due to the weather or activities of the river’s hydro dams.
We’re very proud of the
fact that, in all the years that Vermont Yankee has been operating and
monitoring the river, no environmental change due to the plant’s operation has
been detected.
Entergy Nuclear recognizes
the
Entergy biologists and
environmental scientists are working to ensure that ANR regulators have the
information they need to make the best decision on our request. I can assure
you that Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee will continue to focus on plant
operations with safety as the highest priority and a continuing strong
stewardship for all aspects of the environment of the
Jay Thayer is site vice
president of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee.