On NgoFebhuwari 24, iSigele saseVermont ivotele ama-26-4 ukuvala isikhungo samandla enyukliya saseVermont Yankee esineminyaka engu-38 ubudala lapho ilayisense yaso yokusebenza iphelelwa yisikhathi ngo-2012. embonini kanye nochungechunge lwamanga ahlobene asakazwa umnikazi wayo, i-Entergy Corporation.
I-Vermont Yankee ingesinye sezitshalo zenuzi esezikhulile ezimbalwa zaseNyakatho-mpumalanga ezithengwe ngamanani athengiswayo yi-Entergy kusukela ekuqaleni kwaleli khulunyaka. Ezinye zihlanganisa ezi-2 e-Indian Point, amamayela angu-35 enyakatho ye-Manhattan, i-FitzPatrick enyakatho neNew York, kanye ne-Pilgrim e-Plymouth, e-Massachusetts. Lokhu kuthenga okungaphansi kwe-bargain-base kwenza i-Entergy ibe umnikazi wesibili ngobukhulu kanye nomsebenzisi wezitshalo zenuzi esizweni. I-Entergy yase-New Orleans ibilokhu isebenzisa lezi nukes ezindala emhlabathini kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Endabeni ye-Vermont Yankee, eyaqoqwa ngezigidi ezingu-180 zamaRandi ngo-2002, inkampani yathola imvume kuKhomishana Yokulawula Izikhali zeNuclear ngo-2006 ukuze "ithuthukise" amandla ayo okusebenza afinyelele kumaphesenti angu-120, amaphesenti angu-20 ngaphezu kwesilinganiso esakhiwe.
Ngemva kokuba i-Entergy iginqise i-Vermont Yankee yafinyelela kumaphesenti angu-120, omunye wemibhoshongo yayo yokupholisa yabhidlika ngo-2007. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ihlobene nokukhuphuka kwezinga eliphezulu noma cha, yasusa umsindo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuvele ukuthi i-Entergy ibingayilondolozi imali yokuvala izindleko zokuvala nokuhlakaza iVermont Yankee, njengoba kudingekile, nokudala ukukhathazeka ngokuthi abakwaVermonters bazosala bephethe isikhwama.
I-Entergy iphendule ngokuzama ukuqinisekisa umphakathi ukuthi ukushoda kuzokwenziwa ngokutshalwa kwezimali kwayo ku-Wall Street. Khona-ke i-Wall Street nayo yawa. Ingahlanganisiwe, i-Entergy yaqhubeka nohlelo "lokuphothula" ama-nukes ayo amadala ibe yinhlangano okuthiwa ihlukene, i-Enexus, eyayizothatha imali ebolekiwe engu-$350 million, isebenzisa izitshalo eziwohlokayo njengesibambiso sayo kuphela, bese ibuyisela i-Entergy eyizigidi ezingu-300. Uhlelo kusamele luzuze imvume edingekayo evela eVermont naseNew York State. Abagxeki babeke icala lokuthi lokhu konke kuwumkhonyovu wokwenza izigidi ze-Entergy, kanye nokuziqhelelanisa nezibopho zezimali zesikhathi esizayo, njengezindleko zokuvala ezikhungweni zayo zenuzi ezindala.
Ukhiye ohlelweni lwe-Entergy ukuthola ukuvuselelwa kwelayisense yokusebenza kwama-nukes ayo aseNyakatho. I-NRC ekuqaleni yakhipha amalayisense okusebenza eminyaka engu-40, kodwa muva nje inikeze ukuvuselelwa kwelayisensi yeminyaka engu-20 njengobuhlalu bepulasitiki eMardi Gras. Lokhu kuzokwengeza ukuphila kwezitshalo zokusebenza, ngokwembono, kuye eminyakeni engama-60.
I-Entergy yafaka isicelo sokunwetshwa kwe-Vermont Yankee ngo-2006, kodwa, ngenxa yokuthi i-Entergy yayivele ivumile ukunikeza isishayamthetho sase-Vermont amandla okwenza izinqumo mayelana nokunwetshwa, ngo-February 24 basebenzisa lawo mandla, bephonsa i-wrench emasimini e-Entergy.
Ichibi leRadioactive laseVermont
ONgoJanuwari 7, emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambi kokuba uMongameli Obama alethe iCongress ngesikhathi ekhuluma nge-State of the Union ngesimemo esivuthayo sokuthi "isizukulwane esisha sezitshalo zamandla enuzi eziphephile, ezihlanzekile," u-Entergy wafaka umbiko ku-NRC ukuthi " ihlonze inani eliphansi kakhulu le-tritium" yamanzi angaphansi komhlaba emthonjeni owodwa wokuqapha e-Vermont Yankee, kusukela kusampula elathathwa ngoNovemba 2009. I-Tritium i-radioactive hydrogen, i-byproduct ye-nuclear fission kanye ne-carcinogen eyaziwayo. Uma ihlangana namanzi futhi ingena emizimbeni yethu, ingahlala iminyaka.
Njengoba i I-Montpelier Times I-Argus kubikwe ngo-January 16, "[M] amalungu okuphatha [uMbusi] uDouglas azwakalise ukucasuka ngokuthi izikhulu zesikhungo samandla enuzi kungenzeka zidukise abalawuli." Leli phephandaba liphinde labika ukuthi ngoMeyi 20 wonyaka odlule, uJay Thayer, iphini likamongameli wezokusebenza eVermont Yankee, waphendula umbuzo webhodi elilawula izinsiza zombuso mayelana nokuba khona kwezinto ezikhipha imisebe emapayipini angaphansi kwesikhungo: โNgingenza ucwaningo oluthile. , kodwa angikholwa ukuthi akhona amasistimu amapayipi asebenzayo angaphansi komhlaba aqukethe uketshezi (olusebenzisa imisebe) namuhla."
Kodwa manje sekuvele ukuthi i-tritium kusolakala ukuthi ivuza endaweni okukhulunywa ngayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uThayer akazange abuyele ebhodini lokulawula. I Izikhathi Argus kubikwe nokuthi amazinga e-tritium kumasampuli aphuma emthonjeni, ekuqaleni ama-picocuries angu-700 ilitha ngoNovemba odlule, "aye eqela ku-17,000 kanye nezingxenye ezingu-14,500 ilitha ngesonto eledlule." (I-pico ingxenye eyisigidigidi sengxenye. I-curie isilinganiso senani le-radioactivity entweni ethile noma kothile.)
Okufanayo Izikhathi Argus I-athikili ibike ukuthi amaSenator uPatrick Leahy kanye noBernie Sanders bacele i-NRC ukuthi iphenye ngesiphithiphithi saseVermont Yankee. Ngaleso sikhathi, amazinga e-tritium emanzini angaphansi aqhubeka ekhuphuka. Amasampula amabili asukela ekuqaleni kukaFebhuwari alinganise ama-70,500 kanye nama-picocuries angaphezu kuka-80,000 ilitha. Ngomhla zi-4 kuNhlolanja, i-Associated Press yabika isampula "iphakeme izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-37 kunomkhawulo wamanzi okuphuza aphephile," "cishe ama-picocuries angu-775,000 ilitha," ivela "emthonjeni osanda kumbiwa" eVermont Yankee. Umkhawulo we-EPA we-tritium emanzini okuphuza ungama-picocuries angama-20,000 ilitha. NgoFebhuwari 9, i- URutland Herald kubikwe amazinga angu-2.38 kanye nezigidi ezingu-2.52 picocuries/litha ngezinsuku ezilandelanayo.
UWilliam Irwin woMnyango Wezempilo waseVermont uchaze amanzi angaphansi komhlaba angcolile e-Vermont Yankee "njengendawo enkulu kakhulu" futhi wathi ukuvuza bekulokhu kuqhubeka "izinyanga noma unyaka noma emibili." Ngalolo suku, the IBurlington Free Press kubika ukuthi uDkt. Wendy Davis, ukhomishana womnyango wezempilo wezwe, wathi, "Kunengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi i-tritium enemisebe evuza eVermont Yankee ingena eMfuleni iConnecticut." I-Vermont Yankee itholakala eMfuleni i-Connecticut eningizimu yeVermont.
Umfula ugeleza ubheke eningizimu wehle udabule entshonalanga yeMassachusetts kanye nobude beConnecticut ngaphambi kokuthi udlulele eLong Island Sound. Kamuva, uMbusi waseMassachusetts u-Deval Patrick wabiza ukuthi kuphenywe yi-federal plant ye-Pilgrim nuke plant yesifunda sakhe, ukubona ukuthi ayinazo yini izinkinga ezifana ne-Vermont Yankee. Uphinde wacela ukuthi i-NRC imiswe ukucubungula izicelo zombili zezitshalo zokwelulwa kwamalayisensi eminyaka engama-20.
UMbusi waseNew Hampshire uJohn Lynch "ucele uphenyo lwenhlangano mayelana nokuphepha nabaphathi eVermont Yankee" futhi, ngokusho kukaFebhuwari 10. Izindaba ze-Bloomberg.
I-WBUR, isiteshi somsakazo i-National Public Radio, ibike ngoFebhuwari 11, "uMongameli weSenethi yaseVermont uPeter Shumlin, isifunda sakhe esihlanganisa iVernon [indawo yaseVermont Yankee], uthe, 'I-Tritium njengamanje ingena eMfuleni i-Connecticut futhi intanta ibheke eMassachusetts. isikhathi sesidlulile lapho singenza sengathi sinesikhungo esisha, sesimanje senuzi esihlezi osebeni loMfula i-Connecticut. Asazi. Saklanywa ukuthi sivalwe ngo-2012. Kufanele sihlale le ndiza ngesikhathi'. "
NgoFebhuwari 15, i- North Adams Transcript ibike ukuthi "indawo ye-Vermont Yankee yokungcoliswa ukuvuza kwayo kwe-radioactive tritium cishe njengosayizi wenkundla yebhola kanye namafidi angu-30 ukushona."
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-Entergy yazama ukuvala "izitatimende" zayo ngokuhlukanisa phakathi kwamapayipi agqitshiwe kanye nokulenga ngaphansi komhlaba. Kubeke uJay Thayer nezinye izikhulu kulesi sikhungo "kwikhefu lokuphatha" futhi kwathumela ithimba elivela eNew Orleans ukuthi liyokwenza olwalo uphenyo. Inkampani iphikise ngokuthi ayidingi ngempela i-Vermont Yankee ukuthi iqhubekele phambili nohlelo lwayo lwe-spin-off futhi ibingenzi mali ngale mboni noma kunjalo.
I-Entergy iphinde yenqaba ukuphendula izingcingo zokuthi kuvalwe imboni ukuze kusheshiswe ukuthungathwa kokuvuza kwe-tritium. Kunalokho, iqhubekile nokuyigcina isebenza ngamaphesenti angu-120.
U-Arnie Gundersen, umpempe ukugxeka kwakhe iVermont Yankee kube ngukhiye ekuvezeni izinkinga zayo, uthe, "Uma iVermont Yankee iqhubeka nokusebenza, ukuvuza kwe-tritium kungase kulandelwe ukukhishwa kwezinye izinto eziyingozi kakhulu njenge-Cobalt-60. I-Tritium imvamisa iyisandulela sezinye izinto njengoba ihamba emhlabathini ngokushesha kunezinye izinto. "
Phakathi naleso sikhathi, i-NRC yavuma ukuthi i-27 yezimboni ze-104 zezwe ezisebenzayo ze-nuclear zinomlando wokuvuza kwe-tritium. Enye ye-nukes endala yase-Entergy yaseNyakatho-mpumalanga, uFitzPatrick enyakatho neNew York, inokuvuza okusebenzayo manje. Njengalena eseVermont Yankee, umthombo wayo ubungakatholakali kusukela kulokhu kubhalwa ekuqaleni kuka-Ephreli.
Ngenkathi abaphathi baka-Obama befuna izigidigidi zemalimboleko eqinisekiswe yi-federal ukuze kwakhiwe izimboni ezintsha zenuzi, ubuwula bamandla enuzi esizukulwane sokuqala buyaqhubeka nokusebenza.