On February 19, I attended the NRC meeting about decommissioning Vermont Yankee. I didn't expect it to be fun, of course.
This February 19 meeting was pretty bad.
After this meeting, I was trying, really trying, to write a post about bullying and why a federal agency would allow citizens at a meeting to be bullied. Not just a little random shouting: the bullies make non-stop efforts to intimidate.
I think federal agencies owe the public to run their meetings so that EVERYONE can speak at a public meeting in relative safety. I wondered why the NRC thinks that enabling bullies is such a good idea. I wondered why the safety of pro-nuclear people means so little to them.
But I was too close to the subject. I have a lengthy draft of a blog post, but it still needs work. I found it very upsetting to relive the meeting and work on the post.
Happily, Rod Adams posted about the NRC meeting. I had posted a link to the Cable TV video of the meeting in various places (including Facebook) and Rod followed the link and took action.
Rod is a hero! From the four-hour video of the meeting, he extracted a twenty-minute video of "lowlights." He emailed the NRC, and got some really bizarre responses (The NRC seems proud that they don't take action, even when people throw manure at other people.) Rod has those responses in his post.
I urge you to read and circulate his post. Meanwhile, I will continue to work at my own post. (It's hard for me.)
http://atomicinsights.com/agencies-should-not-allow-creation-of-a-hostile-environment-at-public-meetings/
THIS JUST IN!
Dan Yurman posted on this subject, including his own exchange with the NRC. Dan is a hero, too!
Yes, it is time that everyone felt safe at these meetings. Time and past time!
Thank you, Rod Adams and Dan Yurman.
http://neutronbytes.com/2015/03/05/nrc-must-do-more-to-insure-civility-at-its-public-hearings/
THIS I MISSED EARLIER
Wow, I am ever OUT of it! Steve Aplin at Canadian Energy Issues also saw my link to the meeting video, and he has a wonderful post comparing the activities of the nuclear opponents, and the non-activity of the police in the meeting, with the methods of intimidation used against newly-freed slaves during Reconstruction.
Thank you Steve! Great comments on this post, too!
Free speech, Monty Python, and Civil War reconstruction: anti-nukes are not funny
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I decided to embed a video of the entire meeting. The three posts above are a far better introduction, but in case you want to see it…here it is.
4 comments:
NRC absolutely ceded control to the antis, who hijacked the meeting. Appalling. No wonder so many of us who are pro-nuclear quit going to public meetings.
I am getting more upset the more I watch. The meeting is not being run at all. Only one microphone? Only ONE facilitator? NRC staff not being able to clearly answer the questions? Not understanding the details of Entergy's agreement with the state of Vermont over the status of the decommissioning fund and VY's operation as a merchant plant? Really? It isn't good enough to respond that that's a commercial/legal/financial situation that NRC doesn't get involved in. NRC has to understand the nuances and details because it IMPACTS decommissioning.
I watched the video of the meeting, it would have been difficult for me to sit there and not say something to Gary Sachs who consistently interrupted the meeting with his side-bar comments. I wonder, how would Sachs feel if he was treated the way he treated the NRC and Entergy representatives and would he accept that kind of behavior from his children?
I have been to public meetings where individuals who support nuclear power have been bullied, shouted down, and intimidated by those who do not support nuclear. At one NRC public meeting a number of years ago when my then 10 year old son asked the NRC questions about the spent fuel pool and Yucca Mountain, he was called an “NRC Plant” by the anti-nuclear groups. What did this teach a 10 year old??? It is OK to intimidate people who do not agree with you.
I get it, everyone is entitled to free speech it is one of the best things about living in the USA, however what I don’t condone is the threatening behavior that I saw on the video. We respect their right to speak, they should respect our s.
I have been working in this industry for over 24 years at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and my heart goes out to the VY workers who have been impacted by the closing the plant.
On March 18th in Plymouth Ma the NRC will be holding their public end of cycle meeting, I am planning to be there and provide public comment. I will not let a vocal minority be the only voice an uninformed public hears.
Gary Sachs bad behaviour should be found on any Wikipedia definition of "bad public behaviour". Reprehensible!
He exemplifies the saying, "If you have the facts, pound the facts. If you DON'T have the facts, pound the table!"
The NRC failed miserably in their responsibility to hold a meaningful, productive public meeting.
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