As we buckle down for a cold, snowy winter, your VPIRG team is heading to the State House for the first day of the 2010 legislative session. If there’s one thing to be learned from this past year, it’s that organized and passionate people still wield power.
Together, we can make great things happen in Vermont during this legislative session.
Here’s just a taste of what your VPIRG advocates will be focused on this year:
Closing Vermont Yankee: Relicensing VY is a bad deal for Vermont. Here are just a few reasons why:
The Risky Corporate Spinoff: Entergy wants to spin off its old nuclear plants to Enexus, a new debt-ridden company with a “junk bond” credit rating. We have all already learned the dangers of this kind of business move.
The Decommissioning Fund: It’s woefully short of the $1 billion price tag needed to pay for the cleanup.
The Cost: Entergy wants to increase rates by 45%, sending even more Vermont money out of state rather than into local, renewable energy projects that create local green jobs.
Nuclear Legacy: Our children deserve better than high level toxic nuclear waste.
Protecting Vermonters from Toxic Chemicals: Companies are continuing to put profits ahead of our health by using dangerous chemicals when safer alternatives exist. We need to increase consumer protections and make producers responsible for their toxic chemicals.
Bisphenol A (BPA): It’s a harmful synthetic estrogen used in baby bottles, water bottles, and a variety of other products. We’re working to require the use of safer alternatives to BPA in products in Vermont.
Electronic Waste: We’re working to stop electronics from ending up in our landfills and leaching their toxic contents into our groundwater. We must also ensure that manufacturers share in the cost and responsibility of recycling their products.
Junkyards: We are working with a coalition of community groups and environmental organizations to ensure that all junkyards are properly regulated and are adhering to a baseline of environmental standards.
Our success depends on people like you who share our values and concerns. VPIRG Advocates will be doing their part in the State House. You can do your part by sending a message to your legislators today. Together, we have the power to beat the big energy corporations and chemical companies in these critical legislative battles.