An environmental agency in Vermont issued a draft permit last week that would allow the state's only nuclear plant to operate under slightly tighter water discharge limits until its closure at the end of the year.
The permit to discharge warm water into the Connecticut River has been in legal limbo for nine years. It will soon become irrelevant, as Entergy plans to close the single-unit plant in December following years of political and legal challenges to its operation, as well as low wholesale power prices in the region.
The Rutland Herald reported that the state's Agency of Natural Resources disagreed with Entergy's analysis of the impact the warm water has on aquatic species and suggested the permit decision would be different if the plant were to continue operating. Nonetheless, the permit proposed by the agency would allow discharge of water until the river's temperature reaches more than 69 degrees, a level that is two degrees less than specified in the previous permit.
Anonymous comments will be moderated. Join for free and post now!
