APCC Supports Pilgrim Plant Planning Zone Bills

COURTESY ENTERGY

BARNSTABLE – The Association to Preserve Cape Cod submitted a written testimony to the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety this week in support of two bills that would bring Cape Cod within the area where monitoring of the Pilgrim Power Plant is required.

House Bill 2030 and House Bill 2031 were submitted by state representatives Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) and Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Glouster) targeting the Pilgrim Power Plant in Plymouth and Seabrook Nuclear Power Station in New Hampshire.

Together, the bills enable the installation of radiological air monitoring devices that detect radiation in case of an accident at the plants.

They also increase the area where air monitoring is required from 10 miles to 50 miles which, in the case of Pilgrim, expands the zone to include Cape Cod.

APCC Assistant Director Don Keeran said it’s a common-sense effort.

“Without this bill, we don’t have that extra layer of safety and protection afforded to us, even though we are in the direct path of the Pilgrim plant should an accident occur,” he said.

Last year, the APCC conducted a scientific analysis of the potential environmental impacts of an accident on Cape Cod and Cape Cod Bay.

According to Keeran, the analysis showed significant environmental impact in such an event.

The organization called on the legislative committee to act quickly in advancing the bills with its recommendation.