Voters back article to seek power plant closureMay 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Amy Anthony Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
Passionate opposition to the continued operation of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station may have swayed the majority of voters to approve an article requesting it be shut down Monday night at Mashpee High School. Arlene Williamson made a plea in support of Article 25, which proposed that a request be made to Gov. Deval Patrick to call upon the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to uphold its mandate to shut down Entergy's Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth. "Whether you're for or against nuclear power, the problem here is safety," Williamson said. She said she worries about nuclear waste as well as what would happen should a disaster happen. "We are in a unique geographic location," Williamson said, "and we have only two roads to evacuate." One audience member, George Peterson, argued against the petition, saying it sent the message that "the town of Mashpee does not realize how important energy is." But Williamson countered that Peterson is not a scientist and that the NRC should not be trusted. Voters approved the article 89-30, a decision that was met with applause and whistles from many members of the audience. Earlier in the evening, opposing views over what should be done with 14 town-owned land parcels resulted in a vote to postpone the article indefinitely. The approval of Article 21 would have authorized the conversion of 14 town-owned parcels of land -- about 18 acres in total -- to conservation status. The article received scrutiny from town officials, who fear permanently converting the land to conservation status would prevent the town from potentially using the land for profit. "I would suggest the town has been very diligent in providing for open space," said finance committee Chairman George Schmidt, who argued that converting the parcels was unnecessary because Mashpee already has 42 percent of its land in conservation. While some audience members were in favor of Article 21, some argued that the parcels could be used for affordable housing if not conserved. Ultimately, audience member Marsha King motioned to indefinitely postpone the article because of confusion and questions. King's motion was seconded, and it was passed by a vote of 90-79. Town meeting also approved allocating $486,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for improvements to Community Park and Heritage Park. Specifically, Article 5 will allow Tiger Long Playground at Heritage Park to be 100 percent handicapped accessible, while Article 6 will allow the town to use $105,000 to build a "splash pad" water play area there. Voters also approved articles 10 and 11, which propose the creation of two part-time cataloger positions and two part-time circulation assistants at the Mashpee Public Library. Article 18 was easily approved with two-thirds of the audience agreeing to a moratorium on marijuana dispensaries and postponing the decision until. Voters wrapped up the annual town meeting and special town meeting in one night. http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=28506711 |