The Beauty Pageant of License Renewal

Oh, dear Lord!

A few months back, when Miss Teen South Carolina was asked why a fifth of Americans are not able to locate the US on a world map, she said:

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as, uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for our [children].

Tonight the Windham Regional Council took public input for its own input to the Vermont Public Service Board regarding the potential health and economic effects of Entergy's proposed license renewal. Buffetted by pointed questions (that came before and after her testimony) raised about Vermont Yankee's shoddy evacuation plans, decreasing margins of safety, radiation poisoning of the community, failing equipment, and collusion with the NRC, as well as to accusations of prevarication about decommissioning costs and funds and other blah-blah-blahs like groundwater contamination, perimeter radiation, and the fact that the insurance industry considers nuclear power too high-risk a business to ensure, a blonde Vermont Yankee employee said:

I want to think about positive learning opportunities for people, especially younger generation in the area. I read the paper. I see all the [unintelligible]. I would like to tell you about an organization called WIN. W … I … N. It stands for Women in Nuclear Power. You may have heard of it and you may not. But you can go online and it will open you up to a network. Not only globally, statewide, nationwide, internationally, and we're talking about women who work in the research fields, medicine, and nuclear … – you know, these brilliant young girls that didn't know their [unintelligible] and/or research, or do things that you heard about [unintelligible] you do what you can for your community and know what you can do with this. Um. [Long pause.] This is something you can think about, the reason you should be [unintelligible]. The answer to all your questions and anything you would want to know is out there. It depends on what version you want to read. I've worked in over 16 nuclear plants and I chose to work at this plant because I'll tell you what. My safety is my priority. What is there around here?

Coinky dink? Or does Miss Teen South Carolina work for Vermont Yankee? Either way, her testimony was a "win" for us -– as in Women in Nuclear Power, get it? (But come to think of it, wouldn't that actually be WINP?)

Truth be told, Lord, I am kind of stuck trying to figure out one thing. What did she mean by saying she has "worked in over 16 nuclear plants." Wouldn't that just be "17?"

Amen,

Fake-Rob