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12,000+ Want VT Yankee Closed
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8/19/08- The Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) held a news conference today announcing the results of one of the organization’s most successful summer outreach campaigns ever, generating over 12,000 postcards signed by Vermonters interested in seeing the state’s aging nuclear plant retired in 2012 in favor of clean energy alternatives.
 “One of the best ways to gauge public opinion is to go out and actually talk with people, face to face and door to door,” said Ben Walsh, who helped to run VPIRG’s summer campaign office. “We’ve done that from one end of Vermont to the other, and I can tell you that from Grand Isle to Brattleboro, Vermonters are ready to make the switch from an unreliable and aging nuclear plant to a clean, local, renewable energy future.”
This summer Vermonters have been exposed to two very different approaches in the debate over Vermont Yankee’s future. The Louisiana-based corporate owners of Vermont Yankee have spent large sums of money on ads beginning with the ironic tag line, “Vermonter to Vermonter.” Meanwhile, VPIRG outreach workers have hit the streets, on foot and on bicycle, to recruit support for alternatives to the catastrophe-prone plant one Vermonter at a time. They set an ambitious goal of collecting 10,000 signatures on postcards to legislators in districts around the state. Earlier this month, they smashed that goal and have gathered over 12,000 postcards to date.
Read the full press release here.
Take action to help close Vermont Yankee here.
In Other News...
VPIRG Report: Catamount Health“96 Percent Goal” Currently Unattainable
A new VPIRG report analyzing the state’s package of health care reform programs charges that while thousands of Vermonters have gained health coverage in recent months, the outlook is dim for the state to meet its goal of ensuring that at least 96 percent of Vermonters have health care coverage by 2010.
VPIRG issued the report, which is the second in a series to examine the state’s rollout of Catamount Health and related programs in the Green Mountain Care line. According to VPIRG, although state officials deserve credit for their promotion of Catamount Health and other health benefits available to Vermonters, the state is not on track to reach the overarching goal touted by lawmakers and the administration when the Catamount Health legislation was passed in 2006.
“Vermonters embraced an ambitious goal two years ago – to make certain that 96 percent of the state’s population has health care coverage by 2010,” said Stefanie Sidortsova, VPIRG’s health care advocate. “Catamount Health by itself will not reach that goal, nor will any of our other existing programs. Simply put, if 96 percent of Vermonters are going to have health insurance by 2010, we need to make some pretty big changes to the current landscape.”
The scorecard highlights many of the outreach and enrollment efforts the Vermont Agency of Administration’s Health Care Reform office has undertaken to get Vermonters enrolled in state health care programs. Despite a significant effort, enrollment numbers in the Catamount Health plan have failed to hit projections. more...
Read the full press release here.
Read the full report here.
Leak At Vermont Yankee's Cooling Towers Raises New Concerns
 Multiple problems forced Vermont Yankee to shut down both of their cooling towers and reduce the power plant’s output to 23%. Leaks or other structural failures were found in at least three different sections of the towers including the very same tower the company claims it fixed after last summer’s collapse.
James Moore, the VPIRG Clean Energy Advocate noted that state and federal regulators are failing the public and was quoted in the Burlington Free Press raising questions that deserve our regulators attention: “It makes one wonder where else they’ve cut corners… There seems to be a culture of not doing everything it takes to fix and secure that facility.”
Simply put, Entergy Nuclear proved once again that Vermont Yankee is not the way forward for our energy future. Or as James Moore put it during an interview on VPR “The short term bribe of [saving] a few dollars a month in your electricity bill is far outweighed by the cost that we would be passing on to future generations of Vermonters in nuclear waste, in cleanup, and in risk associated with running one of the oldest reactors in the country.”
Read more about the leak from VPR here, from the Burlington Free Press here, and from the Brattleboro Reformer here.
VPIRG Leads National Health Care Reform Coalition Efforts In Vermont
 Joining a new coalition with nearly 100 other organizations nationwide, VPIRG announced it would be taking the lead in organizing efforts for dramatic health care reform here in Vermont.
Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is being launched by 95 national and local groups that represent labor, community organizations, doctors, nurses, women, small businesses, faith-based organizations, people of color, netroots activists, and think tanks. Health Care for America Now is organizing to assure that the first order of business of the next President and Congress is to pass legislation in 2009 that guarantees quality, affordable health care for all.
The campaign is spending an initial $1.5 million on national television, print, and online advertising and is sending out an email blast to more than 5 million people. Over the next five months, Health Care for America Now plans to spend $25 million in paid media and have 100 organizers in 45 states.
Health Care for America Now offers a bold new vision for health care reform: Americans can keep the private insurance they have, join a new private insurance plan, or choose a public health insurance plan. The campaign also calls for a government role in setting and enforcing rules on the insurance industry which consistently charges whatever it wants, sets high deductibles, denies coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and drops coverage when people get sick.
Read the full press release by clicking here.
Join us in taking action to change the way we treat the ill in America by clicking here.
Read Times-Argus coverage of the story here.
2008 Legislative Session: Big Wins & Bad Vetoes
 The 2008 legislative session was marked by shrinking state revenues and rising political rhetoric. Governor Jim Douglas was content to play the role of Dr. No, opposing sensible proposals on health care, clean energy, transportation and campaign finance. The legislature in turn, began watering down many good ideas in hopes of making some progress. In other areas, legislators pressed ahead and sent worthwhile bills to the governor, only to see them fall victim to his veto pen.
In the end, VPIRG worked with our partners, members and legislative allies to successfully pass a number of important bills into law that will save Vermonters millions of dollars on heating costs, make mammograms more affordable, protect kids from toxic toys and other products and promote the development of clean energy resources. As you’ll see, we still have more work to do in other areas, but with your continued support, we can guarantee you that we won’t stop moving forward.
 Democracy
S. 278 – Campaign Finance Reform
Governor Jim Douglas stood up for his wealthiest political contributors in vetoing commonsense campaign finance legislation (S.278) again this year. And once again, the Vermont House of Representatives failed to override the veto by a one vote margin. The bill would have set reasonable limits on campaign contributions in the wake of the divided US Supreme Court decision to strike down Vermont's landmark campaign finance law in 2006. Though the override vote passed easily in the Senate with support from both Democrats and Republicans, the 99-51 House vote fell largely along party lines, with just one Democrat and one Independent joining all of the House Republicans in upholding the veto.
S. 108 – Instant Runoff Voting
This bill would have ensured majority winners in future Vermont races for Congress and the US Senate. It passed the Senate in 2007 and won final passage in the House on a 77-60 vote. Unfortunately, despite the bill’s popular support, Gov. Douglas vetoed it and there was no veto override vote.
 Energy and Global Warming
S. 209 – Affordable Clean Energy
After a gubernatorial veto in 2007 and a hard fought battle last summer, the tide turned in 2008 with Gov. Douglas dropping his opposition to heating efficiency legislation. This made it possible for legislators to pass S.209, the Vermont Energy Efficiency and Affordability Act. This bill will save Vermonters millions of dollars through heating and energy efficiency projects. It also spearheads the creation of new renewable energy generation in the state.
S. 350 – Energy Bill #2
When the 2008 legislative session began, S.350 was designed to be a comprehensive bill to set strict limits on Vermont’s global warming pollution. Over the course of the session, however, the bill was weakened beyond recognition. The final bill does at least require the state to track how Vermont’s global warming pollution is generated and directs the Agency of Transportation to ensure that our transportation system is better integrated, with more of a focus on rail, bike, and public transit.
S. 364 – Vermont Yankee Inspection
Vermont Yankee is one of the oldest nuclear power plants in the country and deserves a top to bottom, inside and out inspection. Unfortunately, S.364 will not deliver that inspection. VPIRG supported much stronger language, but the new law does require that approximately 10% of the facility is looked over and it sets up a public oversight panel to help guide the limited inspection.
S. 373 – Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Funding
Favoring corporate interests over Vermont ratepayers, Gov. Douglas vetoed S.373, a bill that would have required Vermont Yankee owners Entergy to guarantee that they will pay all of the costs to safely dismantle the plant when it stops operating. At this point, less than half of the $900 million needed to decommission the plant is in the fund even though its license is scheduled to expire in 2012.
 Environmental Health
S.152 – Lead in Consumer Products
One of the most comprehensive lead product safety bills in the country, S. 152 limits lead in children’s projects, phases out lead in certain other consumer products including plumbing fixtures and non-residential paints and primers, and requires warnings to be posted at points of sale for products that could contain lead.
H.352 – Lead in Housing
This bill was designed to address the problem of children’s exposure to lead in housing. It passed as part of a much larger housing bill. Among other things, it requires the state Department of Health to incorporate child lead screening reports into the immunization registry, provide interim reports every April 15th to the legislature on the previous year’s screening rates, and ensure that 85% of one year-olds and 75% of two year-olds are screened for lead poisoning by January of 2011.
H.515 – Mercury-containing Thermostats
Vermont is now second state in the nation to require thermostat manufacturers to share responsibility for the proper disposal of mercury-containing thermostats. Thermostat manufacturers are required to pay a $5 bounty to homeowners, contractors, and others who turn in mercury-containing thermostats to be recycled. The bill sets a goal of reclaiming 65 percent of mercury containing thermostats and requires the Mercury Advisory Committee to report on whether it should be expanded to review additional toxic substances. This could be a terrific first step in addressing the issue of chemical regulation in a more comprehensive and precautionary way.
S.261 – Phthalates in Children’s Products
This bill restricts the use of phthalates in toys and child care articles. Phthalates are toxic chemicals used to make plastics soft and flexible. They can be found in teethers, pacifiers, bath books and more. While we would have preferred that the bill be expanded to protect children beyond the age of 2 years, this is good legislation and an important victory. Vermont is now the third state in the nation to restrict the use of phthalates in children’s products.
 Health Care
S.340 – Affordable Mammograms
This new VPIRG-backed law ensures that no woman with health insurance in Vermont will have to forego a mammogram due to concerns over cost. Due to deductibles and co-pay requirements, some women have been faced with having to pay up to $300 for the procedure. Under S.340, deductibles will no longer apply to mammogram procedures and co-pay costs will be capped at $25. In these increasingly challenging economic times, this legislation is a small but important victory for the women of Vermont.
H.887 – Reforms to Catamount Health
The legislature began the 2008 session with high hopes for making substantial progress on health care reform. Due to severe budget constraints, both chambers scaled back their plans and instead agreed on a more modest reform bill that provides an “amnesty period” for people with pre-existing conditions who sign up for Catamount Health before November 1, 2008. The bill also allows Vermonters who are currently in insurance plans with a deductible of $10,000 or more to access Catamount right now. Finally, the state will seek permission from the federal government to change Catamount’s waiting period from 12 months to 6 months for people who have lost insurance.
 Consumer Protection
H. 409 – Do Not Mail
This bill would have prohibited the mailing of solicitations (a.k.a. junk mail) to any Vermonter who voluntarily signed up on the state’s Do Not Mail database. Based on the tremendously popular Do Not Call list, the bill had tri-partisan support but was opposed by some businesses and the U.S. Postal Service. The bill did not make it to the floor in 2008, but legislators have committed to taking it up again next year.
Vermont Falling Behind in Global Warming Emissions
 VPIRG has just released a first of it's kind report detailing global warming emissions in Vermont since 1990. This report, entitled
Falling Behind: New England Must Act Now to Reduce Global Warming Pollution, documents a thorough estimate of Vermont’s global warming emissions annually from 1990 - 2005, the most recent year for which full data is available from the federal government about fuel use, agriculture and waste disposal .
The report shows that Vermont will not meet its emissions goals for either 2020 or 2050. There is, however, a silver lining. The year 2005 actually saw a decrease in overall global warming emissions. It is critical that Vermont continue this trend and bills like the recently signed S.209 and the new comprehensive global warming bill S.350 are only two steps towards meeting our carbon cutting goals.
As Bill McKibben said, "It won't take a silver bullet to combat global warming, it'll take silver buckshot."
You can read the full text of the report here or the press release here.
Polling Results Call For Clean Energy
 The numbers are in and the people have spoken. Last November and December the Department of Public Service hosted a series of workshops across the state in order to learn what Vermonters have to say about our energy future. The message was loud and clear.
Vermonters supported renewable energy and energy efficiency at every workshop by overwhelming majorities. An estimated 1,000 Vermonters gave up an evening or an entire weekend to be part of directing our energy future. A majority of those polled did not favor nuclear power and were concerned about giving Vermont Yankee a new license for 20 more years. Some early results from the polls show that Vermonters:
- Support greater investment in energy efficiency
- Support increasing our instate renewable energy capacity
- Want to cut our green house gas emissions
- Don’t mind being able to see a wind farm from our homes
- Are deeply concerned about nuclear waste
- And, that we are done with dirty coal and oil generation
While the full report won’t be published until next week, the early numbers all reinforce the message that VPIRG and its 20,000 supports have been fighting for all these years: That home grown clean, safe, & affordable power combined with a strong and growing energy efficiency utility are the way forward for Vermont’s economy and its people. And that dirty, dangerous, and expensive forms of power like coal, nuclear and oil are better fitted as part of our history than as part of our future.
You can read Dave Gram's Times Argus article on the outcome of the hearings by clicking here.
Polluters Continue to Contaminate Vermont's Waterways 35 Years After the Clean Water Act
 More than 50% percent of industrial and municipal facilities across Vermont discharged more pollution into our waterways than their Clean Water Act permits allow in 2005, according to Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act compliance, a new report released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG).
“As the Clean Water Act turns 35, polluters continue to foul our rivers, lakes and streams,” said Charity Carbine, VPIRG’s Environmental Health Advocate. “With so many facilities dumping so much pollution, no one should be surprised that nearly half of America’s waterways are unsafe for swimming and fishing. But we should be outraged.”
The goals of the 1972 Clean Water Act are to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into waterways and make all U.S. waterways swimmable and fishable. Over the last three and a half decades, this landmark environmental law has made significant improvements in water quality, but the original goals have yet to be met.
You can read the full report by Clicking Here and VPIRG's Press Release by Clicking Here.
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