Labor Day Protest At Sagamore Bridge Will Target Pilgrim Nuclear Plant
SAGAMORE (CBS/AP) — The recent announcement that the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant would close at the end of 2014 has focused renewed attention on the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth.
Both nuclear power plants are owned by Entergy Corp.
An anti-nuclear group called Cape Downwinders plans a rally on Monday near the Sagamore Bridge, hoping to catch the attention of visitors leaving Cape Cod at the end of the Labor Day weekend. The group says Cape residents and tourists could be trapped if a serious accident ever occurred at Pilgrim.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted last year to relicense Pilgrim through 2032. The plant's operators say the facility is safe and secure, adding that it produces 10 percent of Massachusetts' electrical needs.
Since the power plant was first licensed to operate in 1972, Cape officials and residents have been critical of evacuation plans in the event of a disaster. Due to the difficulty of getting all of the Cape's residents over the Sagamore and Bourne bridges during an emergency, having residents shelter in place at their homes is a primary response if something goes wrong at Pilgrim.
Gov. Deval Patrick said recently that it wasn't clear to him whether the state needed Pilgrim.
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