About the River
Just now, I published a blog post called The River and the Rhetoric--Who Speaks for the River. This post was mostly about the Sage Alliance plans for a flotilla-based protest of Vermont Yankee, and about the Connecticut River Watershed Council, an anti-Vermont Yankee advocacy group.
I thought I needed another post about the river itself. Let's start with the idea that the shad are disappearing. Well, they are not. It's a record year for shad on the Connecticut River, with one million returning to spawn. I am sure you will enjoy the article in the Hartford Courant.
In contrast, during our debate at University of Vermont in February, 2011, Arnie Gundersen claimed that there were 16 shad in the Connecticut River. I just couldn't resist including this clip of the debate, since there are actually a million shad in the river this year.
It's also worth noting that the decline or rise of the shad may be based on the status of the pumped storage plant downstream from us, in Massachusetts. Massachusetts environmentalist Karl Meyer writes about the devastating effect of the Northfield Pumped Storage project on the fish in the river. He wrote this in response to an earlier article by David Deen. David Deen is one of the main speakers at the Sage Alliance anti-Vermont Yankee flotilla. Meyer's article is It's about the river AND the fish
It's also worth noting that the decline or rise of the shad may be based on the status of the pumped storage plant downstream from us, in Massachusetts. Massachusetts environmentalist Karl Meyer writes about the devastating effect of the Northfield Pumped Storage project on the fish in the river. He wrote this in response to an earlier article by David Deen. David Deen is one of the main speakers at the Sage Alliance anti-Vermont Yankee flotilla. Meyer's article is It's about the river AND the fish
Water Permits
It's also worth adding a reminder about the Vermont Yankee water quality permits, since the flotilla is focusing on this issue. The Vermont Department of Public Service lost a recent lawsuit about water permits. The Department had sued the NRC, claiming that Vermont Yankee should not have been granted a license renewal because the plant water quality permit was out of date. They lost. I blogged about the water permit lawsuit here.
Be great if someone from the plant was placed in earshot of the protesters and continuously used a megaphone to state the facts of the shad and water temp so that local media mics can catch info they don't bother covering anyway as well. I wouldn't let even rants go unchallenged. VY, break out the megaphones and bellow back the facts!
ReplyDeleteJames Greenidge
Queens NY
I think I would have titled the post, "Of Shads and Charlatans". Arnie never fails to amuse.
ReplyDeleteOne man wrote a rather strong comment about Gundersen. I have been sitting on that comment for a couple of days, thinking about it. I decided to ask myself "What would Miss Manners do?" I decided she wouldn't post the comment, and I won't either.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for not-posting a comment that I actually agree with, but...there it is. I am perhaps too nicey-nicey, but that is how I am.