||| FROM THE BEND BULLETIN |||
The January 2024 issue of the Central Oregon Electric Coop’s magazine ‘Ruralite’ featured a full-page letter by CEO Brad Wilson. Wilson said that “special interest groups” had used litigation to get the four Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD’s) removed. He said that the White House Council on Environmental Quality had “injected itself” into the process, “participating in confidential mediation with only select stakeholders” and that only when “details leaked from the secret negotiations” did the coop learn of an agreement that “fails to protect the Bonneville Power Authority (BPA) and exposes its customers to new costs, … translating into billions of dollars of new expenses.”
Gee, sinister “special interests” behind a “secret” conspiracy that imperils “system reliability” sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? None of that is true.
When the LSRD’S were built 60 years ago, scientists feared that they would lead to extinction of Snake River salmon. See the eye-opening 1971 film “Struggle for the Snake.” Sadly, over time, these predictions were confirmed. All Snake River salmon populations are now either extinct or on the endangered species list.
Twenty years ago, a group of parties sued the federal government to save the salmon from doom. The plaintiffs, were: 1) the state of Oregon, 2) the Nez Perce Tribe, and 3) Conservation groups including the National Wildlife Federation. Are these “special interests?” Over 20 years, the plaintiffs won in court seven times. Each time, the government said it would fix the problem but each time it failed to do so.
In 2022, the plaintiffs agreed to a year-long ‘stay’ in the litigation to give the Biden administration a chance produce a plan. The parties agreed to mediation overseen by the federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
The service is not a secret society, a conspiracy, or a political act of White House meddling. It is a nonpartisan federal agency established to settle lawsuits through confidential mediation. The negotiations were not “secret”, but they were between parties in the lawsuit — as any court case would be. The result of that negotiation was released to the public on December 15 providing a complicated path forward (too long for discussion here).
Thanks for providing an opportunity to watch this for free, Lin. Much appreciated.
Removing the four lower Snake River dams will eventually happen … after sufficient nuclear, solar, or other form(s) of relatively green power are in place. Since every new green energy project is now taking years of environmental reviews, hearings, and litigation (Native American sacred land, anti-growth advocates, wind turbines kill bird, NIMBY positions, green power isn’t green groups, nature preservationists objecting to changing any natural landscape and affecting the any animals or plants … it goes on and on), I’d possibly estimate maybe 30 years from now enough new green power might be available for the ever increasing electrical power demands of electric cars and trucks and a Northwest that will likely need more summer air conditioning.
Water above 68ºF is lethal for salmon. Climate change with predicted higher winter rain and drier summers which will lower the water snow pack is already an issue with rivers from California through southern British Columbia, reducing wild salmon survival. No shortage of stories about that happening.
The Snake River canyon is scorching in the summer months. Salmon survival with any increase in temperature in the Snake River is most likely to be marginal at best … even many long time Snake River fishermen are believing any significant restoration of wild salmon runs are marginal at best.
Costs to breach or remove the dams range from $13 Billion to $34 Billion, and inflation increases this costs every year. There are more salmon in the Columbia River by far now than before the dams were built … admittedly mostly hatchery fish. Hatchery fish are a tiniest fraction of the cost of removing the dams to maybe or maybe not restore some Snake River wild salmon runs.
And when the dams are removed, who is going to benefit from the highly questionable wild salmon rebound? Mostly a handful of wild river fisher men and women and sport outfitters for fishing float trips. Native Americans will get their share since they are among the strongest advocates for dam removal.
And when the BPA contract with OPALCO is renegotiated in 2028, San Juan County will likely see electrical rates increase substantially since California and the Southwest will be bidding for that federal power. Remove the dams, and BPA loses 8% of their electrical generation capability.
Would not $13Billion to $34 Billion be better spent on, say, affordable housing, some universal health care, or maybe cancer research?
“Relatively” green power… I like that. Equating nuclear power as “green power” is one of the largest misnomers and misleading narratives of our time.
i have always liked getting more than 2 million times the energy from fission versus combustion i have never seen green power falling water is great when you have water and a cliff
“2 million times the energy” with two million times the risk.
Millions of people suffer from the ill-health effects from ionizing radiation stemming from the fueling up, the operation of, and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants around the world. Think of the multiple pollutants involving the most toxic chemicals known to mankind with half lives of thousands of years that we still have no solution for, (think of Hanford for one). Think of a tax-payer subsidized industry, and the cost overruns related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, of the lack of evacuation plans in case of emergencies, and the lack of insurance (also tax-payer subsidized).
Think of the many incidents involving, and the pollution stemming from the entire fuel process, from the mining and transporting of uranium to enrichment facilities, to leaks and stolen materials from these facilities, to the “normal and usual” daily leaks of radiation in the air and rivers in the areas surrounding operating power plants. Think of the major incidents relative to the failure of power plants such as Three Mile Island, Fukushima, and Chernobyl, (with these being only a few of the incidents on record). Think of our aging power plants that are approaching, or are already beyond their useful life-span. (with some sitting on earthquake faults).
I worked as legal researcher on the Daniel Sheehan portion of the Karen Silkwood case (the appeals), and I helped in the lawsuit that shut down the Black Fox I & II reactors under construction in the Tulsa area years ago. I’ve had ample opportunity to review many public, as well as classified documents from government sources, (as well as having experienced threats, and having our offices raided in the middle of the night and documents stolen). There’s a reason why Three Mile Island has been shut down, and that no new nuclear reactors have been built in the U.S. since then.
For those lacking information here’s two sources that will help educate you to the reality of the past and current nuclear power plant dilemma–
Meltdown: Three Miles Island (Netflix) – https://www.netflix.com/watch/81241561?trackId=255824129
The Trajectory of Justice lecture(s) from the Romero Inst.: Daniel Sheehan & Sara Nelson– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wv0YXvWSgc&list=PLVza7sesLJh4Z7Yst1PUqBdwKcOfLPVyi&index=10
This is an industry that from it’s very inception has been rife with deceit, corruption and coverup all the way from the construction, operation, insuring, regulating, and shut-down phase of it’s life-cycle. The risks simply due not equate to the benefits.
I have some issues with Dan Sheehan, I knew some people from The Christic Institute.
Aside, I just read that the “Green” return point for an average Tesla car. It’s 55,000 miles to be “Green”. Lots of Lithium and Cobalt involved, and near slave labor.
And how many Tesla owners keep their car for 55,000 miles?
Also, what happens nearly every summer, with fires and drought? The Governors of various States tell their folks to unplug and use less electricity.
Our power grid is simply not ready for all-electric power.
“There’s a reason why Three Mile Island has been shut down, and that no new nuclear reactors have been built in the U.S. since then.”
Southern Company, Vogtle Unit 3 nuclear plant, 1114 megawatts, came on line August 2023; Unit 4, 1114 megawatts to come on line first quarter 2024.
Units 1 and 2 came on line in the late ’80’s.
Three Mile Island Unit 1 on line 1974, decommissioned 2019. Unit 2 on line 1978, decommissioned 1979 after accident.
“The accident’s exposure had no detectable health effects on the plant workers or surrounding public. The accident’s exposure had no detectable health effects on the plant workers or surrounding public.” Office of Nuclear Energy May 4, 2022.
“There’s a reason why Three Mile Island has been shut down, and that no new nuclear reactors have been built in the U.S. since then.” MJ
Thank you Bob. I stand corrected… there have been several nukes put online since the T.M.I. accident. I’m a bit out of the loop and appreciate the correction.
However, that being said… looking away from the official byline, (the industry and the government), one can see past the smokescreen and see that nuclear power remains the most expensive as well as the most hazardous form of electrical generation known to mankind… from construction, to operation, to shutdown.
Vogtle Electric Generating Plants–
“In March 2017, Westinghouse Electric Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to losses from its two U.S. nuclear construction projects.”
“In November 2017 the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) requested additional documentation following concerns that design blueprints had not been approved by appropriately licensed engineers, which has legal implications. On December 21, 2017, the PSC approved the continuation of construction on Units 3 and 4, with conditions that reduced the costs that can be recovered from ratepayers over the life of the project….”
“In March 2019 further federal loan guarantees of $3.7 billion were given to the various build partners, taking total federal loan guarantees up to $12 billion. The Georgia Power CEO said the loan guarantees played a key role in reducing financing costs for the build.”
“A three-month delay to completion of both units was announced in October 2021, with unit 3 expected operational in the third quarter of 2022 and unit 4 in the second quarter of 2023.[58] In August 2022 a further delay was announced, first quarter of 2023 for unit 3 and the fourth quarter of 2023 for unit 4. Costs were expected to rise to over $30 billion due to the delays.”
“During the construction of Vogtle’s first two units, capital investment required jumped from an estimated $660 million to $8.87 billion. ($18.3 billion in 2022 dollars.”
“In 2018 costs were estimated to be about $25 billion. By 2021 they were estimated to be over $28.5 billion.[14] In 2023 costs had increased to $34 billion, with work still to be completed on Vogtle 4.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogtle_Electric_Generating_Plant#cite_note-reuters-20170330-49
Three Mile Island
“Pennsylvania raises alarms on transfer of radioactive Three Mile Island reactor”
“Three Mile Island Unit 1 on line 1974, decommissioned 2019. Unit 2 on line 1978, decommissioned 1979 after accident.”
“Citing financial concerns and the COVID-19 emergency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has asked the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to delay a decision over a license transfer of the radioactive Unit 2 reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Dauphin County.”
“In an April 6 letter to NRC chair Kristine Svinicki, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell detailed a number of issues, including a lack of funds to properly clean up the site, unknown levels of radiation that remain on site, how and where the remaining radioactive materials will be disposed of, and how the process could affect the health of the Susquehanna River.”
“Each nuclear facility has a mandated trust fund — known as the Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund, or NDT, and financed with ratepayer dollars — to cover the costs of the decommissioning.”
“DEP pointed out in the letter that cost estimates for the clean-up for TMI-2 are $1.2 billion, but said it could be more given the unknown status of the unit, which has remained inaccessible for 27 years.”
“In a report issued to the NRC by GPU Nuclear dated March 18, 2020, the trust fund is listed at approximately $899 million, while the estimated clean-up costs are $1,353,638,075.”
“Epstein, who directs TMI Alert, said costs could run significantly higher.”
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2020/04/17/pennsylvania-raises-alarms-on-transfer-of-radioactive-three-mile-island-reactor/
Did I mention that the official byline is obscured by deceit, misinformation, and coverup? The only truth being told to the people regarding Three Mile Island was by several (3) engineers and an operator who became whistleblowers, and who’s testimony led to the reality that the official investigation into the accident at Three Mile Island (“Pres. Carter’s Commission”) was a whitewash, and part of a cover up of enormous magnitude. Their testimony also led to both the closure of the plant, and ultimately the filing of criminal negligence charges against the company constructing the plant, the operators of the plant, and members of the Nuclear regulatory Commission.
Documentary– Meltdown: Three Mile Island https://www.netflix.com/watch/81241561?trackId=255824129
Part I: 37:55– “The Vice-President of Metropolitan Edison says, ‘Residents have nothing to worry about.'”
Part II: 39:10– “We’re talking about massive core damage. With the loss of cooling water the core had been exposed and melted at that point, meaning that we came within 30 minutes of a catastrophe involving a steam explosion blowing the entire reactor apart.” Michio Kaku
Part II: 39:50– “The accident at T.M.I. was the worst nuclear accident that ever happened on American soil. Little did we know there was another scenario waiting that was potentially much more dangerous than the accident.” Rick Parks, nuclear plant operator
Pert III: 28:40– Within only a couple of years after the incident at T.M.I. leading experts from the scientific and medical community began documenting symptoms and illnesses relative to radiation poisoning, and 2-3 times higher incidence of cancers in members of the public in the vicinity of TMI than surrounding communities.
Robert, you stated, “The accident’s exposure had no detectable health effects on the plant workers or surrounding public. The accident’s exposure had no detectable health effects on the plant workers or surrounding public.” Office of Nuclear Energy May 4, 2022.
The studies on the latent cancers and deaths related to the radiation released in the area around TMI are as numerous and varied as are the sources that one can get their information from. Take your pick. They vary from–
“A variety of epidemiology studies have concluded that the accident has had no observable long term health effects.”
to,
“Some local statistics showed dramatic one-year changes among the most vulnerable: “in Dauphin County, where the Three Mile Island plant is located, the 1979 death rate among infants under one year represented a 28 percent increase over that of 1978, and among infants under one month, the death rate increased by 54 percent.”
“In 1990-1 a Columbia University team, led by Maureen Hatch, carried out the first epidemiological study on local death rates before and after the accident…” “The study found that cancer rates near the Three Mile Island plant peaked in 1982-3, but their mathematical model did not account for the observed increase in cancer rates, since they argued that latency periods for cancer are much longer than three years.”
Carbon or plutonium… the people deserve better.
Carbon or plutonium? The people deserve better. Even the new, heavily tax-subsidized, and much touted mini-nukes are not living up to their reputation.
“The project’s collapse was precipitated by rising interest rates and inflationary pressures “that have not been seen for more than 40 years,” according to NuScale. Inflation caused the prices of several component parts to increase by as much as 106% in some cases.”
“As a result, the project’s cost had increased 75%, to $9.3 billion, and the cost of power had gone up by 50%. Some communities also pulled out of commitments to buy power from the new reactors, which are set to go operational in 2030.”
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/11/09/nuscale-power-modular-nuclear-reactors-partnership-cancellation/
Michael
From1973 to 1982 I was employed by the Bechtel Power Corporation, Nuclear Division on the Limerick Generating Station Units 1 and 2 under construction in Pottstown PA about 50 miles east of TMI. I held a variety of positions including field engineer, craft superintendent and my last 6 years was the number two position in the project subcontracts department. Based on my experience I have a different opinion of nuclear electrical generation than you. Your statement “take your pick” is just that. I can present links to support my position and you yours in a 50 plus year old argument. I will agree to disagree.
An interesting factoid: At the time of the TMI accident my wife (also a field engineer at Limerick) and I had a 30’ sailboat moored in Havre de Grace Maryland at the mouth of the Susquehanna River 50 miles down stream from TMI. Beeline to check our insurance policy!
Bob
Bob, we do indeed come from different sides of the industry with myself being a part of the citizens watchdog arena, and civil litigation side of it. Though I’m not sure if I had worked for Bechtel in their nuclear operation that I would brag about it, we can agree to disagree if you like. A quick online search for “lawsuits against Bechtel nuclear” provided about 140,000 results in 0.40 seconds.
The number of lawsuits over the years that Bechtel has either settled out of court, or lost is staggering. It involves nearly every major nuclear operating power plant, every nuclear waste disposal site, and every nuclear power plant decommissioning operation in the U.S. The charges range from fraud, whistleblower retaliation, intimidation and harassment, malfeasance, racial and sexual discrimination, deficient materials and workmanship, false cost-overruns, false-claims settlements, improper billing for work never performed, safety violations, and the illegal expenditure of federal funds.
I’ll list below several excerpts from the thousands listed… from our own Hanford site, and also, as we have been discussing, Three Mile Island.
HANFORD WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT–
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
“United States Settles Lawsuit Against Energy Department Contractors for Knowingly Mischarging Costs on Contract at Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant The Justice Department announced today that Bechtel National Inc., Bechtel Corp., URS Corp. (predecessor in interest to AECOM Global II LLC) and URS Energy and Construction Inc. (now known as AECOM Energy and Construction Inc.) have agreed to pay $125 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they made false statements and claims to the Department of Energy (DOE) by charging DOE for deficient nuclear quality materials, services, and testing that was provided at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at DOE’s Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The settlement also resolves allegations that Bechtel National Inc. and Bechtel Corp. improperly used federal contract funds to pay for a comprehensive, multi-year lobbying campaign of Congress and other federal officials for continued funding at the WTP.”
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-settles-lawsuit-against-energy-department-contractors-knowingly-mischarging
Nuclear Watch– New Mexico
GOVERNMENT MEMO SLAMS BECHTEL FOR MALFEASANCE, SAFETY VIOLATIONS AT HANFORD NUCLEAR SITE
August 28, 2012 Environmental Impact, Nuclear Safety, Nuclear Security, Nuclear Waste, Press Releases
Bechtel is the major operator of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“Memo Urges DOE to Remove Bechtel as the Design Authority, Warning Bechtel “is not competent to complete their role”Seattle, WA: Hanford Challenge today released a high-ranking Director’s memorandum that urges termination of the key duties of government contractor, Bechtel National, Inc. (“Bechtel”; “BNI”). A litany of charges question whether Bechtel should continue its role at the Hanford nuclear site, including a long history of incompetence, misleading the government, overcharging, and unsafe designs.”
“The memo states, “[t]he number and significance of these issues indicate that Bechtel National Inc. is not competent to complete their role as the Design Authority for the WTP [Waste Treatment Plant], and it is questionable that BNI can provide a contract-compliant design as Design Agent.”
“The memo continues, noting that “[t]he behavior and performance of Bechtel Engineering places unnecessarily high risk that the WTP design will not be effectively completed. . .”
https://nukewatch.org/2012/08/28/government-memo-slams-bechtel-for-malfeasance-safety-violations-at-hanford-nuclear-site/
THREE MILE ISLAND–Huffington Post (Joanne Doroshow, Center for Justice and Democracy at New York Law School) 3/19/15– Nuclear Workers Deserve Better from Bechtel
“In March 1983, a very dedicated and brave nuclear engineer named Rick Parks came forward as a whistleblower. Parks was TMI-2 Senior Startup Engineer and had just been suspended by Bechtel, his employer. Parks showed us that Bechtel and TMI’s owner, GPU, were deliberately circumventing safety procedures, which could have had catastrophic consequences. For months Bechtel had harassed him and other workers for reporting these violations internally. Five days later, Laurence King — Park’s former boss — publicly supported Park’s charges, and in April, another plant engineer backed them up. All three, as well as King’s secretary Joyce Wenger, were horribly mistreated. The Department of Labor agreed and in 1987, Parks sued Bechtel. The company settled. Additional details about what happened to Rick Parks and the others are truly disturbing and you can read all about it.”
“They [i.e., Bechtel] currently have their hands in virtually every nuclear weapons plant/facility in the country — most of which have riddled with safety violations. Including Hanford, Washington, Yucca Mountain, Y-12 and Pantex, Oak Ridge. And Bechtel packed the drums that leaked from Los Alamos/WIPP [Waste Isolation Pilot Plant] two years ago.”
https://centerjd.org/content/nuclear-workers-deserve-better-bechtel
Violation Tracker Current Parent Company Summary
Current Parent Company Name: Bechtel
Ownership Structure: privately held
Headquartered in: California
Major Industry: construction and engineering
Specific Industry: construction & engineering
Penalty total since 2000: $936,443,338
Number of records: 35
https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/bechtel
Bob, we do indeed come from different sides of the industry with myself being a part of the citizens watchdog arena, and civil litigation side of it. Though I’m not sure if I had worked for Bechtel in their nuclear operation that I would brag about it, we can agree to disagree if you like. A quick online search for “lawsuits against Bechtel nuclear” provided about 140,000 results in 0.40 seconds. The number of lawsuits over the years that Bechtel has either settled out of court or lost is staggering. It involves nearly every major nuclear operating power plant, every nuclear waste disposal site, every nuclear power plant decommissioning operation, and every nuclear weapons production site in the U.S. The charges range from fraud, whistleblower retaliation, intimidation and harassment, malfeasance, racial and sexual discrimination, deficient materials and workmanship, false cost-overruns, false-claims settlements, improper billing for work never performed, safety violations, and the illegal expenditure of federal funds. And this is not specific to Bechtel alone… this is indicative of the nuclear industry as a whole. You’ll not find this information on the Bechtel website, or any of the industry related websites… did I mention coverup was the order of the day?
I’ll list below only several excerpts from the thousands listed… from our own Hanford site, and also, as we have been discussing, Three Mile Island.
HANFORD WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT–
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
United States Settles Lawsuit Against Energy Department Contractors for Knowingly Mischarging Costs on Contract at Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant
“The Justice Department announced today that Bechtel National Inc., Bechtel Corp., URS Corp. (predecessor in interest to AECOM Global II LLC) and URS Energy and Construction Inc. (now known as AECOM Energy and Construction Inc.) have agreed to pay $125 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they made false statements and claims to the Department of Energy (DOE) by charging DOE for deficient nuclear quality materials, services, and testing that was provided at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at DOE’s Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The settlement also resolves allegations that Bechtel National Inc. and Bechtel Corp. improperly used federal contract funds to pay for a comprehensive, multi-year lobbying campaign of Congress and other federal officials for continued funding at the WTP.”
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-settles-lawsuit-against-energy-department-contractors-knowingly-mischarging
Nuclear Watch– New Mexico
GOVERNMENT MEMO SLAMS BECHTEL FOR MALFEASANCE, SAFETY VIOLATIONS AT HANFORD NUCLEAR SITE
August 28, 2012 Environmental Impact, Nuclear Safety, Nuclear Security, Nuclear Waste, Press Releases
Bechtel is the major operator of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Memo Urges DOE to Remove Bechtel as the Design Authority, Warning Bechtel is not competent to complete their role
“Seattle, WA: Hanford Challenge today released a high-ranking Director’s memorandum that urges termination of the key duties of government contractor, Bechtel National, Inc. (“Bechtel”; “BNI”). A litany of charges question whether Bechtel should continue its role at the Hanford nuclear site, including a long history of incompetence, misleading the government, overcharging, and unsafe designs.”
“The memo states, “'[t]he number and significance of these issues indicate that Bechtel National Inc. is not competent to complete their role as the Design Authority for the WTP [Waste Treatment Plant], and it is questionable that BNI can provide a contract-compliant design as Design Agent.’”
“The memo continues, noting that “'[t]he behavior and performance of Bechtel Engineering places unnecessarily high risk that the WTP design will not be effectively completed. . .’”
https://nukewatch.org/2012/08/28/government-memo-slams-bechtel-for-malfeasance-safety-violations-at-hanford-nuclear-site/
THREE MILE ISLAND – Huffington Post (Joanne Doroshow, Center for Justice and Democracy at New York Law School) 3/19/15– Nuclear Workers Deserve Better from Bechtel
“In March 1983, a very dedicated and brave nuclear engineer named Rick Parks came forward as a whistleblower. Parks was TMI-2 Senior Startup Engineer and had just been suspended by Bechtel, his employer. Parks showed us that Bechtel and TMI’s owner, GPU, were deliberately circumventing safety procedures, which could have had catastrophic consequences. For months Bechtel had harassed him and other workers for reporting these violations internally. Five days later, Laurence King — Park’s former boss — publicly supported Park’s charges, and in April, another plant engineer backed them up. All three, as well as King’s secretary Joyce Wenger, were horribly mistreated. The Department of Labor agreed and in 1987, Parks sued Bechtel. The company settled. Additional details about what happened to Rick Parks and the others are truly disturbing and you can read all about it.”
“They [i.e., Bechtel] currently have their hands in virtually every nuclear weapons plant/facility in the country — most of which have riddled with safety violations. Including Hanford, Washington, Yucca Mountain, Y-12 and Pantex, Oak Ridge. And Bechtel packed the drums that leaked from Los Alamos/WIPP [Waste Isolation Pilot Plant] two years ago.”
https://centerjd.org/content/nuclear-workers-deserve-better-bechtel
Violation Tracker Current Parent Company Summary
Current Parent Company Name: Bechtel
Ownership Structure: privately held
Headquartered in: California
Major Industry: construction and engineering
Specific Industry: construction & engineering
Penalty total since 2000: $936,443,338
Number of records: 35
https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/bechtel
MJ – There are times that I vehemently disagree with you, as we both well know, but I am 100% behind you regarding the suicidal idiocy that is nuclear power generation. I did not know you were so involved back in the day. Is this arena the source of your connection to Bill?
Thanks Ken. No, my relationship with Bill started 30 years or so ago when we were both friends, and also working at the same time on litigation against development interests on Waldron. Also, Bill and I, (as well as his wife Hallie, and another F.H. friend, Sandy Strehlou), are long-time members of a small Palestinian family support group, (there’s 6 of us all total).
Bill has his own (many) stories to tell about his engagement during the nuclear power heyday.
The short story: My involvement was back in the late 70s, early 80s, concerning the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS, renamed “Energy Northwest” due to the events described below). I was the only bond counsel willing to testify to the state senate committee concerning WPPSS, whose bond debt was then running on a graph that to anyone but someone in the municipal bond business would recognize as a Ponzi scheme. It wasn’t intended to be that way, but a near-billion dollar project (a lot 40 years ago) set up as a”design-build” contract meant hat the engineers designed as they went. This of course ended my career as a municipal bond lawyer (I did represent an underwriter afterwards though), but also led ultimately in litigation fatal to any expectation that the WPPSS bonds could be paid in full. So in 1983 a near billion dollar bond default and the vaporization of a few law firms ensued.
The WPPSS bonding arrangement that you were confronting here in Wa. St. was the same as the Construction Work In Progress (CWIP) legislation that we were up against in our battle against the Black Fox I & II reactors just outside of Tulsa, Ok.. It was a combination of cost overruns, (construction costs, the ever-growing projected operating costs, and the unknown costs relative to it’s eventual end-of-life phase-out and cleanup), as well as the known risks to the surrounding communities, our proving the company’s lack of adequate insurance and an effective evacuation plan, and citizen’s awareness that ultimately prevailed in our ability to shut them down.
We’d done half-a-dozen non-violent citizen takeovers of the site, (lockdowns, sit-ins, trespassing and mass arrests), with each passing year these events growing larger and larger, and with each of these highly publicized events effectively shutting down the construction. We’d also been fundraising, (t-shirt sales, bake sales, film presentations, concert proceeds from Jackson Brown, Bonnie Raitt, and Jesse Colin Young, etc.), while, at the same time, pursuing a massive public awareness campaign for years in preparation for the legal action. We had Dr. John Gofman, Michio Kuku, and a survivor from the Hiroshima nuclear bombing as our expert witnesses. Also, the leader, of our leaderless group, “Carrie Dickerson” eventually sold her farm to help finance the legal case, and by the time the hearings began the people throughout the region were educated enough that they were solidly against it. This was precedent setting in the industry… never before, at that time, had anyone, anywhere, shut down a nuclear power plant under construction. Ironically, if it hadn’t been for Three Mile Island melting down, and the Kerr McGee Corporation murdering Karen Silkwood… this would have been much more difficult to accomplish.
But wait, this article was about dam removal, and salmon recovery… and we got off track. I wonder what the salmon think of nuclear power?
“CASE’s strategy was to stall the progress of the hearings and licensing process, as well as to postpone the issuance of a construction permit. Eventually, the PSO would have to ask for a rate increase Construction-Work-In-Progress (CWIP). When a nuclear power plant was planned, the company would ask the state utility commission to grant a rate increase so that ratepayers would have to start paying for the building of the plant. At that point the protesters would be able to go to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission hearing and prove that electricity from Black Fox would be too expensive for people to pay.”
Oklahomans prevent completion of Black Fox Nuclear Plant, 1973-1982–
https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/oklahomans-prevent-completion-black-fox-nuclear-plant-1973-1982