The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will present a webinar on Thursday, Dec. 12, regarding the planned dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant. The purpose of the webinar is to provide key factual information about how dry cask storage works and how the NRC regulates its use through on-site inspections and other reviews.

"There has been interest among members of the public in the vicinity of the Pilgrim plant about the use of dry cask storage at the site," said Bill Dean, Administrator of the NRC Region I Office, which is located in King of Prussia, Pa., and oversees inspections at nuclear power plants in the northeastern United States. "Our hope is that this webinar will be helpful in providing information to the public on this topic."

The webinar will begin at 3 p.m. Participants will be able to view slides prepared by NRC staff and ask questions in writing via a web page set up to host the session. Online registration is required to take part.

Pilgrim is located in Plymouth, Mass. It is owned and operated by Entergy. Work is currently underway on the concrete pad that will hold dry cask storage units, with plans to move loaded casks to the pad sometime in the summer of 2014.

12/20 COMMENT DEADLINE:

NRC Waste Confidence Plan

The NRC thinks it can guarantee the safe storage of nuclear waste for a million years. This waste contains plutonium & uranium with half-lives of 24,000 years and ten billion years, respectively. Really. No one could make this up.

Your comments on this plan are much needed and should be made before the Dec. 20 deadline. You needn't have any expertise, just a little commonsense. Sample comments are here, along with instructions for submitting your comments:

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/radioactive-waste-whatsnew/2013/9/19/how-to-submit-public-comments-to-nrc-re-its-nuke-waste-con-g.html

Or, simply, email your comments to: Rulemaking.Comments@nrc.gov

Investigate the NRC

Beyond Nuclear is calling on Congress to "Investigate the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission" given the agency's long and continued failure to enforce its Congressionally mandated charter to protect public safety at nuclear facilities.

Through a series of "charges," Beyond Nuclear will be documenting incidences when the agency protected nuclear industry financial interests over public safety. Charges One and Two, currently on the Investigate NRC page, discuss the Nuclear Waste Confidence Game, and GE Mark I and II Reckless Endangerment. Additional charges will be added periodically.

Please use these "charges" and call your Senators or Representative (202-224-3121) to ask them to initiate an investigation of an agency that is derelict in its duty.

Mass. Department of Public Health: Tritium, Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137 Found in Water and Soil at Pilgrim

Last month, Cape Cod Bay Watch outlined the Department of Public Health's (DPH) groundwater testing report, which showed tritium levels in a well at Pilgrim trending higher than other wells on the property. The issue has not improved, according to DPH's October report. Well #216 is continuing to trend higher than the other wells (4,882-5,307 pCi/L were reported in Sept., and 3,330-5,720 pCi/L were reported in Oct.). Additionally, tritium levels in wells #209 and #211 are also trending higher now.

Also alarming is that relatively high levels of cobalt-60 and cesium-137 have been found at levels above normal in soil samples near Well #216. These are extremely hazardous isotopes that release radiation. DPH reports that further investigation and remediation of potential source(s) of these radioisotopes will occur in the near future.

Read the full story here >>

Review: Plymouth Board of Selectmen Meet with Local, State and Federal Delegation

On Tuesday evening, December 3rd, in an effort to broaden the discussion on the new Nuclear Waste Storage Facility onsite at Pilgrim, Plymouth Board of Selectmen met with Senate President Therese Murray, Representatives Tom Calter and Vinnie deMacedo, and staffers from the offices of Congressman Keating, Senator Markey and Senator Warren. The room at Town Hall was full.

Entergy gave a presentation about the differences between Pilgrim and Fukushima, but neglected to point out the striking similarities between the two, or any of the problems, which some of the public mentioned. Despite the topic, Entergy said their "dry cask storage person" couldn't be there. The Board of Selectmen asked Senator Markey and Warren's offices if they would be willing to be back in touch with next step ideas on their involvement within 60 days, and they agreed.

Ironically, while Entergy was outlining its safety features to the Board of Selectmen, the plant performed what the NRC describes as a "normal plant shutdown" because of a steam leak on a valve that provides sealing steam to the main turbine. Read more here >>

Pilgrim's Finances Threatens Public Safety by Mary Lampert

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is losing money. In Massachusetts' deregulated market, Pilgrim cannot compete with cheaper sources of electricity - mainly natural gas. Another reason that it is losing money is unplanned shutdowns and power reductions; when a plant is shut down or operating at low capacity, there is no revenue.

UBS, a global firm providing financial services in over 50 countries, estimates that Pilgrim is losing and will continue to lose between $27 and $30 million each year. Last week, Forbes magazine included Pilgrim is its list of the six reactors most likely to close.

Many would say that the sooner Pilgrim closes the better. So why should we care?

For one very simple reason: a plant that is losing money and likely will close in the near future cannot be expected to maintain the staff and perform the preventive maintenance and repairs that are essential to safe operation. Just this year, Pilgrim has had 18 Event Reports to the NRC, an unprecedented number for the industry. The vast majority were equipment related. Pilgrim's number of shutdown this year is more than ten times the number of shutdowns than the national average.

On November 6, the NRC announced that it had dropped Pilgrim's performance rating because of shutdowns with complications, placing it among 15 plants in the country requiring more oversight. And only a few days later, the NRC told Entergy that Pilgrim's rating is likely to drop again next month, placing it among the 8 worst performers.

The shutdowns and required event reports are clear signs that Entergy is not making the necessary investments in personnel (8 more workers were told they will be laid off next month) and maintenance that are needed to safely run this antique reactor. To put it in perspective, Pilgrim was built between 1967 and 1972, about the time the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and Richard Nixon was President. Do you have a single household appliance or car that is more than 40 years - particularly one whose failure would have anywhere near the consequences of a significant accident at Pilgrim?

Entergy has many subsidiaries; Pilgrim is just one of them. The parent company is more than willing to accept any profits that Pilgrim might somehow create. But Entergy's primary responsibility is to its shareholders - not us. There is no reason that Entergy can be expected to make substantial investments in an aging and failing nuclear power station; and the result is that the public is at risk.

Sign Our Petition

The organization Concerned Neighbors of Pilgrim, along with Cape Cod Bay Watch, is collecting signatures to give to the Plymouth Board of Selectmen regarding Entergy's Nuclear Waste Storage. The petition reads:

"Entergy's long term storage of high level radioactive waste in our community poses a risk to our families, homes, businesses, environment and economy. Help us urge Plymouth officials to use their authority to protect public safety and the Town's fiscal well-being before the opportunity is lost or becomes irreversible."

Sign online today as a citizen or a business:

Sign Today >>

12/12 Pilgrim Coalition Meeting

Pilgrim Coalition meetings are open to all and we encourage you to attend and engage in our discussions. We will be meeting next on:

Thursday, December 12 \ 7 pm

Jones River Landing, 55 Landing Road, Kingston, MA

See more events online...

The Pilgrim Coalition's member groups are always hosting events, gatherings, and forums for the public. We invite you to join us-come out and have some fun and find out what's going on:

http://www.pilgrimcoalition.org/calendar

Activism & Spirituality Brief nondenominational thoughts by Norm Pierce

If as an activist you haven't had your feelings hurt, just wait. Like those opinionated, often difficult people who declared independence from England, the movement to retire Pilgrim and make Plymouth safe is made up of motivated, imperfect people, doing their damndest, sometimes making mistakes, accidentally forgetting someone, getting angry at someone, misunderstanding someone, all while doing a lot of things right.

Being part of our movement offers a chance to practice keeping your eyes on the goal when you want to quit, widening your capacity for forgiving, looking at your own sensitivities, just like any other relationship. Therefore, being an activist is also a spiritual journey.

Right: Citzens march in 2012
courtesy of capedownwinders.org

About the Pilgrim Coalition...

We are a non-partisan network of citizens and organizations dedicated to raising awareness of - and reducing - significant risks to public safety, health and our environment arising from the continued operation of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, located in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Make a Donation >> Help us grow by making a secure, tax-deductible donation online today. Checks can also be made out to the Pilgrim Coalition and sent to us at c/o Jones River Watershed Association, 55 Landing Road, Kingston, MA 02332.

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