On January 2, members of the Safe and Green citizens group are planning to begin a 122-mile, 10-day march from Brattleboro to Montpelier, hoping to convince Vermont state legislators to vote against extending the life of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. The group has arranged for lodgings along its route in churches, community rooms and a union hall. A vehicle traveling with the marchers will be available for bathroom breaks.
The group anticipates that 50 people from Brattleboro and neighboring towns in New Hampshire and Massachusetts will join in the "Step Up to Shut It Down" march (though probably not all at the same time). They hope to persuade others to join them.
Speaking to the Nashua Telegraph, organizer Chad Simmons said, "The people living closest to the Vermont Yankee have a unique voice. It's crucial… that [legislators] see there is significant opposition coming from the communities that are around the reactor."
When they arrive at the state capital around January 12, they will deliver a petition to lawmakers.
The plant opened in 1972 and is scheduled to close in 2012. Vermont is the only state whose Legislature votes on re-licensing applications; in all other states such applications are only subject to federal approval.
