Burlington, Vermont - July 19, 2011
A federal judge has refused to grant Vermont Yankee an injunction allowing it to operate past March of next year when its license expires. Entergy's lawyers wanted the injunction so it could keep operating while it fights Vermont in a separate case, to begin in September, that will determine whether the state has the right to shutter the nuclear power plant.
Entergy said without the injunction it might have to shut down by the end of July rather than spend $60 million to refuel the plant. The judge did not buy Entergy's argument. In response, Entergy released a brief statement saying its request for an injunction was about keeping the plant's workers employed, the plant running safely and the electric grid reliable until this case is resolved.
The statement goes on to say that in the upcoming days, Entergy will be evaluating the judge's opinion and assessing the company's near-term options.
Cheryl Hanna is a professor at the Vermont Law School. She has been following this case closely and appeared on The :30 to talk about what this all means. For more, watch the video from The :30.
WCAX News
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