Staying Strong on VY: Rally held at State House

Holding signs and banners, citizens gathered to express their support for retiring Vermont Yankee

On Monday, Vermonters gathered outside the State House in Montpelier to thank Governor Shumlin and other state leaders for moving Vermont toward a clean energy future and for their support for retiring Vermont Yankee on schedule.

This comes in the face of Judge Garvan Murtha’s decision late last week in Entergy’s lawsuit against the state to invalidate key portions of Vermont law. These Vermonters’ message to state leaders? Stay strong.

“Judge Murtha’s decision is a setback but not a defeat,” said Debra Stoleroff of the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance.  “When the state Senate decided that the continued operation of Vermont Yankee was not in the best interest of the state, it did so based on economics, reliability and environmental issues.  We feel strongly about supporting the democratic process.”

The gathered citizens held signs and banners expressing support for retiring Vermont Yankee as scheduled in March of this year, and for the legislators and Governor who have worked to make that happen.

“Our 20,000 members and supporters across the state have had enough of Entergy’s lies, leaks and lawsuits,” said Liz Edsell of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, or VPIRG. “We, the people of Vermont, stand with our Governor and legislative leaders who have worked to do the responsible thing and see Vermont Yankee retired on schedule, in the face of significant opposition from Entergy and its corporate partners.”

Attendees also highlighted the fact that while they are disappointed in Judge Murtha’s decision, he didn’t give Entergy everything it wanted.  In his ruling he left Vermont’s Public Service Board the authority to deny Entergy a Certificate of Public Good, something today’s attendees obviously support, and a process they will be watching closely.

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