Shumlin says he’ll push for another decommissioning bill

(Host) Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin says he'll push another bill next year that would force Vermont Yankee's owners to put aside money to close the plant.

The Legislature has passed a similar bill twice now and both times Governor Jim Douglas has vetoed it.

Shumlin says he thinks the situation has changed because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has identified Yankee as one of the plants that doesn't have enough money to pay for decommissioning.

(Shumlin) "Even the NRC now says we've got a problem. We think it's reasonable to expect that we can convince the governor that this is a prudent thing to do to protect Vermont ratepayers."

(Host) Shumlin argues that it will cost one billion dollars to shut down and clean up the Yankee site in Vernon. But the financial meltdown has reduced the amount the plant has in its decommissioning fund and it's short between $600 and $700 million right now.