Cyr Files Bill to Increase Authority of Pilgrim Decommissioning Panel

COURTESY PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION

BOSTON – Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) has filed a bill aimed at increasing oversight of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station during its decommissioning.

The legislation would increase the authority of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel, a 21-member group that provides citizen input on the plant’s impending closure in 2019.

The bill would allow the panel to conduct independent research and oversight, would provide a budget appropriation to the working group, and would add the Attorney General and Inspector General to its membership.

“Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is one of the greatest public safety threats facing Cape Cod, the Islands, and all of Eastern Massachusetts” Cyr said. “Responsible closure and prompt decommissioning of the plant are essential, and the path we take now will determine whether communities in Southeastern Massachusetts are grappling with the risk of Pilgrim for several more years, or worse, for decades.”

“The final legislation that created this panel in 2016 neglected to include a representative from the Attorney General’s office or the Inspector General, despite the fact that agencies independent from the executive branch were included in an original proposal for the panel. These omissions leave out several stakeholders with important roles in evaluating the decommissioning process,” Cyr added.  

“If enacted, this bill will give a stronger voice to Pilgrim’s neighbors and the taxpayers of the Commonwealth, who will live with this site in perpetuity,” said Cyr.

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