Fifteen Women Arrested after Advocating for Solar Power at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant
VERNON, Vermont—Fifteen women, the largest-ever contingent of the Shut It Down Affinity Group to date, were arrested Thursday afternoon at the Entergy Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and charged with trespass after advocating for replacing nuclear power with solar power. Shut-It-Downers included three women in their nineties: Valerie Mullen, 90, of Vershire, Vermont; Frances Crowe, 92, of Northampton, Massachusetts, and Lea Wood, 94, of Montpelier, Vermont.
From left, front: Marcia Gagliardi, 63, of Athol, Massachusetts; Valerie Mullen, 90, of Vershire, Vermont; Lea Wood, 94, of Montpelier, Vermont; Frances Crowe, 92, of Northampton, Massachusetts; Ellen Graves, 69, of West Springfield, Massachusetts; back, Susan Spencer Smith, 60, of Burlington, Vermont; Nancy First, 81, of Northampton; Hattie Nestel, 72, of Athol; Jean Grossholtz, 82, of South Hadley, Massachusetts; Nelia Sargent, 55, of Claremont, New Hampshire; Betsy Corner, 64, of Colrain, Massachusetts; Nina Swaim, 73, of Sharon, Vermont; Robin Lloyd, 72, of Burlington; Sandra Boston, 71, of Greenfield, Massachusetts; Julia Bonafine, 42, of Cuttingsville, Vermont.
They spray-painted the words “Go solar under the grid,” stretched caution tape across the Vermont Yankee driveway, locked the chain-link entrance to the power plant shut, and held a sign reading “Go solar under the grid” or placards representing carbon-free, nuclear-free solar power. The group read the following statement citing dangers of nuclear power and indicting Vermont Yankee for harboring leaks, poisons, and lies:
“It is long past time to shut down Vermont Yankee, this inefficient, dangerously damaged, nuclear plant. We know we CAN have a safe reliable energy source that will protect and cherish our planet and help all living things to survive and even prosper. Events in Japan and here in Vernon make clear that nuclear dangers in all cases have been exacerbated by corruption of safety standards, lack of independent on site inspections, and failure to take into account the likelihood of natural disasters.
“The same combination of private corporations and political forces are at work all over the world. It remains to be seen if serious WHOLE HEARTED REGULATION AND INSPECTION ever could make such terrifying energy safe. But to date it has not happened. Our local experience watching Vermont Yankee licensed and re-licensed despite numerous failures of the safety provisions, leaking radiation into our streams and rivers makes us ask ourselves, What would have happened if this deadly tornado that decimated the greater Springfield, Massachusetts, area had hit the Vernon area?
“Safety standards have been seriously corrupted because there are no independent on-site inspections and no recognition of natural disasters nor provision for what to do in the event of them. We saw the same thing in Japan and are seeing this again in nuclear plants along the flooded rivers of the Midwest and elsewhere.
“Alternative energy must be a national project involving not only energy companies and engineers but also environmentalists, farmers, fisherfolk, factory workers, desk jockeys, and home owners. In short, all of us.
“Meanwhile, right here, right now we have the opportunity to lead the way. Let’s dig up all the nuclear-powered wires under this grid and build a solar energy field. We have the space. All we need is the will. Shut it down. Put solar under the grid.”
