At hearing, most support third reactor

Friday, Aug. 17, 2007

In July, UniStar Nuclear, a partnership between AREVA, a European nuclear plant designer, and Calvert Cliffs owner Constellation Energy, filed a partial application for a ‘‘combined license” to allow them to both build and operate the reactor. However, Constellation and UniStar representatives have insisted that the application does not signal a commitment to build the reactor.

NRC representatives traveled to Calvert to explain the application process to members of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners and others, and held a ‘‘public outreach meeting” in Solomons Tuesday evening.

Among the representatives was Larry Burkhart, senior project manager for overall combined license application review. At the commissioners’ weekly morning meeting, and at the public meeting in the evening, Burkhart explained the intricate license application review process and detailed the opportunities for public input.

In addition to Tuesday’s meeting, public comment will be heard before and after both the draft and final environmental impact statements are written and before and after a safety report is submitted.

‘‘It’s your home. It’s your community, and what UniStar and Constellation Energy intend to do here has more of an effect on you than anyone,” said NRC representative Tom Bergman, deputy director of licensing operations.

Commissioners president Wilson Parran (D) opened the comment session with a statement in support of the expansion.

Parran said he had seen the effects that the coming of the plant had had in raising Calvert County’s standard of living.

Paraphrasing a statement signed by the board of commissioners that morning, Parran said ‘‘Calvert Cliffs positively changed the face of Calvert County in the 1970s. ... Their presence has been the driving force that has allowed residents to attain a level of services” including increased quality of life.

Parran also said that nuclear energy is necessary to counteract global climate change and provide clean air.

‘‘Many of the decisions we make are difficult. But the decision to support the potential expansion was simple, uncomplicated and easy,” Parran said.

Del. Sally Jameson (D-Charles) spoke up to support energy conservation and renewable energy but said they would not be enough to meet the region’s energy needs. She held up a specter of a 20 percent gap between energy generation and future energy demand.

‘‘We have got to find a way of filling that gap if we want to avoid brownouts throughout the country,” Jameson said.

The majority of Calvert residents who spoke voiced support for the third reactor, including several representing business and civic groups.

Nate Pope, chairman of the Calvert County Economic Development Commission, denounced anti-nuclear activists from outside Calvert County and asked the NRC not to allow opponents of the third reactor to slow down the approval process.

‘‘As chair, I would like to state without any doubt that we have historically supported both Calvert Cliffs and Constellation Energy,” Pope said. To applause, he asked the NRC representatives ‘‘what or how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is going to do to ensure that the licensing and review process is not bogged down by outside entities who do not want to see Calvert County continue to benefit from Calvert Cliffs.”

But Diane D’Arrigo, radioactive waste project director with the Nuclear Information and Resource Service said the power plant had the potential to affect people throughout the region and Calvert countians were not the only people deserving to be heard.

‘‘Whether I live in this community of not, I have every right to work to prevent the creation of nuclear waste. ... We’re speaking of routine releases. It’s unconscionable to say nuclear power is emissions-free,” D’Arrigo said, to applause.

D’Arrigo questioned the NRC representatives as to where nuclear waste would be disposed of, and said that current disposal sites are leaking radioactive materials.

‘‘I don’t know that we can answer that for you tonight,” Bergman said, but assured her that waste disposal was part of the environmental review process.

The hearing attracted anti-nuclear activists from throughout Maryland.

Alan Shapiro came from Baltimore to attend the hearing. Staunchly anti-nuclear power, Shapiro said that a combination of energy conservation and renewable energy sources could provide enough energy without a new reactor.

Using fans instead of air conditioning to cool homes and office buildings would conserve energy, and conservation measures could be enforced by limiting the amount of power available to customers, Shapiro said.

‘‘[It’s] very simple. You simply limit the amount of electricity there is that can go out. ... The problem is, voluntary [conservation] probably doesn’t work very well. It doesn’t work until you get a generation or two down the road, who have grown up in the system,” Shapiro said.

Tactics such as brownouts could be necessary to stave off ecological disaster, but such extreme energy conservation measures are viable, Shapiro said.

‘‘You’d have a rational life, a survivable life,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro said disposal of nuclear waste was a concern, and said that he did not rely on politicians or the NRC to resolve the issue safely because ‘‘you can’t trust them because they’re for industry.”

Other attendees also distrusted of governmental officials. In a statement Parran called an ‘‘insult,” Robert Tufts of Churchton accused members of the board of commissioners of supporting the power plant because they’d been bribed by campaign contributions from Constellation Energy.

This prompted Commissioner Linda Kelley (R) to announce that she had received ‘‘zero, nada, zilch” contributions from Constellation and would not have felt it appropriate to accept any; Maryland’s campaign finance database shows no donations to Kelley by Constellation.

‘‘Zero, nada, zilch, and we want to welcome you here, sir, from Anne Arundel County and we hope you enjoy your stay,” Kelley said.

The complete operating permit is due in March 2008.

E-mail Erica Mitrano at emitrano@somdnews.com.