Jean Stimmell’s My Turn column is always thought-provoking and well-reasoned. However, the column on Saturday, March 16, contained factual errors regarding the decommissioning of the Seabrook Nuclear Plant. As legal counsel advising the State regarding nuclear decommissioning, I can attest that as of 1981 New Hampshire has the most stringent standards for decommissioning nuclear in the country.

The state standard is far more comprehensive than the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements and ensures that the cost of decommissioning is fully paid by the owners of the plant, and not the citizens of New Hampshire. There is a state entity (The Nuclear Decommissioning Finance Committee) comprised of state officials, including the state treasurer, the commissioners of Energy, Health and Human Resources, and Safety, a state senator, a state representative, and representative from the town of Seabrook, and the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission.

These officials meet annually to establish the funding requirements and through their dedicated service today the decommissioning trust fund holds approximately $1 billion and continues to grow through prudent investments. The cost of decommissioning Seabrook Station, in current dollars, is estimated to be $1.1 billion. The trust can only be spent on decommissioning, which will begin when the plant ceases operation in 2050. So, Jean, you need not worry that the plant will be safely decommissioned, and New Hampshire taxpayers will not pay for it.

Harry Judd

Bow