The Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) has admitted the Connecticut River Watershed Council's (CRWC) four expert reports as part of the ongoing Certificate of Public Good relicensing hearings for the Entergy Vermont Yankee nuclear facility in Vernon.
These reports - developed by experts with decades of experience in biology, thermal pollution, engineering, and water quality modeling - outline significant concerns about Entergy's analysis of its impact on the Connecticut River.
The PSB admitted David Deen, CRWC's Upper Valley River Steward, into the proceedings as an expert witness bringing the CRWC's reports into evidence.
The reports contend that Vermont Yankee's current expired permit uses a flawed, overly simplistic mathematical formula, rather than actual river temperatures, to conclude if its pollution is within legal limits.
Actual temperature data taken by Entergy and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service show the river exceeds permit temperature limits 50 percent to 75 percent of the time, depending on where the temperature is monitored.
According to Deen, “Fish can't do math, but they sure know when they are in hot water.”
“The Clean Water Act requires discharges to not harm the river or fish,” says CRWC executive director Andrew Fisk. “But Entergy has been using flawed and outdated science, operating under an expired discharge permit, and heating the Connecticut River. These are all important considerations for the Public Service Board in issuing a new Certificate of Public Good.”
The CPG case is expected to continue for six more months. For more information, or to read the CRWC reports, visit www.ctriver.org.