Town Meeting Resolution re Vermont Yankee
Dear Fellow Vermonters,
As many of you know, the Vermont legislature has given itself
the power to approve or deny Entergy's attempt to extend the operating
license of Vermont Yankee. While lawmakers and the public will be
hearing from advocates on both sides of the issue, Entergy's corporate
dollars will ensure that their point of view will be disseminated
widely and deeply.
While citizens and grass roots environmental groups may not be
able to match corporate budgets for lobbying and advertisements,
we do have the good fortune to live where one of the last vestiges
of true democracy, town meeting, is alive and well.
We think that it is vital for town meetings all across the state
to weigh in on this important issue that will determine how we face
our future energy needs and environmental concerns. We have confidence
that if Vermonters get a chance to hear about the real costs of
continuing operation of the nuclear reactor, both in economic and
environmental terms, they will agree that we do not want another
twenty years of Vermont Yankee. We know that by changing our focus
to serious conservation and efficiency efforts, along with increasing
locally and regionally produced renewable power generation, we can
satisfy our needs for power without having to risk our environment
as well as the welfare of the people in Vermont, New Hampshire and
Massachusetts who live near the plant.
We have drafted a town meeting resolution asking the legislature
to not approve Entergy's extension plans and that they ensure that
Entergy fully cover the cost of de-commissioning (see attached and
below) and are circulating it throughout the state for consideration
for town meeting. I am asking you to volunteer to gather signatures
of 5% of the registered voters in your town to get it on your town
meeting warning. The deadline for signatures is on or around January
22. Your town clerk can tell you the exact date as well as the necessary
number of signatures.
Through consultation and collaboration with numerous grass roots
groups in Vermont, we will be able to offer you logistical, informational
and moral support as you work towards town meeting day. There are
many public campaigns and events that will be highlighting this
issue from January through March, and we will work to tailor some
of them to your needs to help you achieve success in your town.
We are putting together a steering committee with representatives
from different groups who are working on this issue so as to keep
each other informed of our efforts and to make sure that our work
is coordinated and effective. I am excited to have been asked to
do some of the organizing and hope that I can get you to join me.
Please read the resolution and see if you won't become part of
our effort. If you will help, contact me at patrioticresponse@yahoo.com
and we can get started.
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