SeVEDS Board Meeting minutes

Monday September 30, 2013

8-9 am

In attendance: Patrick Moreland, Konstantin VonK, Stephan Morse, Dutch Walsh, Martin Langeveld, Chris Campany, Pat Moulton Powden, Laura Sibilia   on phone: Adam Grinold, Drew Richards, Jenna Pugliese, Bill Colvin, Ariel Brooks

Briefing on actions related to VY closure announcement

• Chris Campany on decommissioning and decommissioning fund  – 20 minutes
  • Review employees by town list.  Talking to MA and NH – MA has dealt with Rowe so they have info.  We have info in the docket.  At some level this is the last chapter at Rowe – some of those employees were absorbed into VY.
  • 2 different attachments that show personnel levels under SAFSTORE and Decon
    • Decon is almost immediate – after cooling
    • SAFSTOR – plant ceases operation, pull fuel rods, begin to cool radioactive elements, then decommissioning is deferred for period of up to 60 years – plus they can get an extension of up to 20 years
    • Opportunity for local input beyond local negotiations is minimal
    • 2 years after plant ceases they have to file decommissioning plan – they have to hold hearings
    • Personnel levels under decon or SAFSTOR– 2014 will go from 620-250 in 9-12 months
    • SAFSTOR will begin to button up plant – then 50 or so employees
    • Decon will ramp up to 350 for about 5-6 years then ramps back down as plant is dismantled
    • There are going to be many plants going offline at the same time
    • We don’t know exacts – don’t speculate
    • Martin – Vernon thinks SAFSTOR #’s are low – Vernon thinks it will take 2-300
    • Chris – this is Entergy’s document – I’m going with record under oath from Public Service Board – Entergy’s own decommissioning experts came up with these profiles
    • Patrick – has Entergy made any comments regarding security/fire personnel – will those continue to be Entergy or a spin off to cut down on benefits?
    • Chris – CT Yankee talks about immediate decommissioning as being able to tap into legacy employees
    • Shut downs related to gas – more about cash flow than anything else – when Yankee took over ENVY – hope was that they would reinvest more into decommissioning fund – they have not
    • They have about 600 million dollars in comingled decommissioning fund
    • three different aspects of costs: Radiological, spent nuclear fuel management (rods in pull, dry cask storage etc), site restoration or “greenfielding”
    • NRC recommends those funds not be comingled – total cost of all of that is 1 billion
    • Generation tax or others – 12 million annually is going to draw that fund down and take more time.  The reason they are going to SAFSTOR is to build fund
    • Fuel that is in pool now – 2300 assembly’s – do that under current operating budget, not decommissioning
    • Entergy says when plant ceases operation they should be taxed as vacant land – between 7,000-14,000 a year
    • KVK – law is plant can do whatever they want – is there any precedence that lobbying or federal action? – not that we are aware of
    • Martin – this could be first one where NRC approves plan that goes out beyond peoples life times
    • WRC position is based on docket and industry standards
• PMP on staff actions and state actions – 30 minutes
  • Pat and Lawrence met w VY site manager on preliminary wf issues
    • Also looking to see the degree of impact with their local contractors
    • Seemed interested in following up on SeVEDS info
  • Pat participated in Commons Post VY panel (http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site05/story.php?articleno=8443&page=1#.UkQ72RAj6Ao)
    • Both Chris and Pat participated – room was very interested in decommissioning and desire to push that hard – message I put out was there are organizations that do have a plan
    • Chris – one of challenges SeVEDS is going to have – among those who have opposed continued operation, they have advocated that VY does not contribute as much to the economy as has been said
  • Articulation of SeVEDS/BDCC relationship, projects and priority implementation needs (attached- temporarily embargoed as it contains vital projects)
    • Time to assemble in one place what they key projects are that need to take place in order to build economy and move it forward
    • Stephan – Some point we have to have a plan (PR plan)
    • October 28^th joint hearing with House Commerce and Natural Resources
    • Patrick this isn’t the circumstance we envisioned in releasing the Vital Projects – but with the committees coming down we should consider it
    • Dutch – is Entergy HR in daily contact with someone here?  It’s very important for BDCC or somewhere in SeVEDS process to be that placement entity
    • Stephan – what do you need from us?
    • SeVEDS Oct 17^th meeting bring plan on release of information and hearing
    • Martin – need formal transition task force including Vermont Yankee
    • Stephan – we need to reach out and work with the community
    • KVK – any question that we should consider going to White Plains or LA – Chris – the state is engaging there
    • KVK – our position is decommissioning is not our priority?
    • Stephan – Post VY supported WRC decommissioning position and SeVEDS is working economic development.  KVK If it turns out that it’s political – is that a SeVEDS role?
    • Patrick – we don’t want to take our eyes off the plan we are trying to put in place
  • Legislative briefing (PPT attached)
• Review of FAQ document for questions you may get in your businesses and communities – 10 minutes

Next meetings

November 21^st 2-4 Hannah Cosman with CEDS Committee to vote to approve CEDS and finalize planning for CEDS public presentation

December 5^th 4:30-6:30 Ragle Hall Marlboro College, Marlboro – CEDS presentation and SeVEDS annual meeting – Sec. Miller invited to speak

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