Mark named to Vt. Yankee decommisioning panel

Greenfield Recorder 09/29/2014, Page C01

Recorder Staff

State. Rep. Paul Mark said he had 36 hours’ notice Tuesday about being appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick as the Massachusetts representative to the 19-member Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel before its meeting in Brattleboro, Vt.

Mark, who lives in the Berkshire County town of Peru and is used to long drives into Boston, said he had meetings in Charlemont and Heath anyway, so traveling to Brattleboro wasn’t bad for the opening session of what he expects will be monthly meetings to make recommendations on the nuclear plant’s decommissioning process.

Mark said he requested a tour of the Vernon reactor site and he said he’s looking forward to what should be an “interesting and useful” process to draw citizen review of the post-shutdown phase of the nuclear plant after it ceases operation in December.

The CAP will serve a similar role in decommissioning Vermont Yankee that the disbanded Vermont State Nuclear Advisory Panel served for the operating plant: providing a question and comment forum for members and the concerned public, according to Guy Page of Vermont Energy Partnership. Unlike VSNAP, it includes representatives from plant owner Entergy.

The panel also includes appointments by Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, the Vermont Legislature, as well as representative from New Hampshire, from labor and a variety of environmental groups.