BRIAN:..THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR
ENERGY IN SOUTHWEST ENERGY WAS
DECIDED TODAY--AS ENTERGY'S
PALISADES POWER PLANT WILL
STAY OPEN ANOTHER FIVE YEARS...
YEARS...SUE:..THIS IS A STORY
WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR
YEARS...
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AND 24 HOUR NEWS 8'S BRADY
GILLUM JOINS US LIVE FROM THE
KALAMAZOO STUDIO--WITH MORE ON
THE DECISION TO KEEP THE
NUCLEAR PLANT OPEN.?BRADY?
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BRADY:..TODAY I SPOKE WITH
PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS
DEBATE. AND ALTHOUGH THE
DECISION MAY HAVE COME DOWN TO
COLD, HARD CASH, THERE'S STILL
PLENTY OF DEBATE ABOUT NUCLEAR
POWER.
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A CONTROVERSIAL SOUTHWEST
MICHIGAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
WILL STAY OPEN FOR ANOTHER
FIVE YEARS, UNTIL 2022.
ENTERGY, THE ENERGY COMPANY
THAT OWNS THE PALISADES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, WAS
WORKING TO CLOSE THE FACILITY
AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR.
CONSUMERS ENERGY OFFERED TO
PAY MORE THAN $170 MILLION TO
TERMINATE THE CONTRACT. BUT
THAT FELL THROUGH AFTER THE
MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMISSION ONLY AGREED TO
ALLOW CONSUMERS TO BE
REIMBURSED ABOUT $136 MILLION.
OPPONENTS OF NUCLEAR POWER SAY
IT'S NOT SAFE.
SAFE. IRIS POTTER, MICHIGAN
SAFE ENERGY FUTURE, KALAMAZOO CHAPTER
CHAPTERWELL, THIS IS A TRULY
SAD DAY FOR MICHIGAN AND
BEYOND. LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
CONTINUES TO BE IN JEOPARDY
BECAUSE ENTERGY NUCLEAR OF
LOUISIANA AND CONSUMERS ENERGY
DENY RESPONSIBILITY AND MADE
THIS IMMORAL AND UNETHICAL DECISION."
DECISION." BRUCE BROWN,
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN SIERRA CLUB
4:48 "THEY GET AWAY WITH THAT
THEY'RE CLEAN BECAUSE THEIR
POLLUTION IS NOT THE SAME AS
FOSSIL FUEL'S POLLUTION. BUT
IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM JUST
THE SAME FROM THE MINING OF
THE URANIUM TO ENRICHING IT,
TRANSPORTING IT, EVERYTHING
ELSE."BUT OTHERS, INCLUDING
CONGRESSMAN FRED UPTON, SAY
NUCLEAR POWER IS "SAFE,
RELIABLE AND SECURE." STATE
REPRESENTATIVES MARY WHITEFORD
AND BETH GRIFFIN ALSO ISSUED
STATEMENTS, DESCRIBING NUCLEAR
POWER AS A "SAFE, RELIABLE
POWER FOR OUR REGION" AND
SAYING PALIDADES IS "SAFE AND RELIABLE."
RELIABLE." VAL GENT, PALISADES
POWER PLANT SENIOR
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
SPECIALIST"JUST THIS PAST
SPRING, ENTERGY INVESTED TENS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO
THE SAFE AND RELIABLE
OPERATIONS OF THE PLANT."
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BRADY:..
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SUPPORTERS ALSO SAY KEEPING
PALISADES OPEN WILL SAVE ABOUT
600 JOBS IN SOUTHWEST
MICHIGAN. OPPONENTS SAY THE
JOBS ARE IN RENEWABLE ENERGY.
REPORTING LIVE IN THE
KALAMAZOO STUDIO, BRADY
GILLUM, 24 HOUR NEWS 8.
