Newburyport Newcomer Thankful for C-10

It’s always heartening when we get contacted from someone who finds C-10 on their own and wants to get involved. Earlier this summer we got a note from Pat Torkildson, a retired attorney who relocated to Newburyport from Madison, Wisconsin,  with her husband Howard to be closer to their daughter, Julia.

When Pat and I met and she learned more about C-10, she quickly offered to volunteer with us, like she did at our recent farmer’s market table. She also submitted a letter to the editor of the Newburyport Daily News, prompted after a story about a boy from Belarus who has cancer caused by the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Here’s Pat in her own words:

As a newcomer to Massachusetts and Newburyport in 2016, I wanted to learn as much as possible about New England and the Newburyport area. I discovered many historical sites, beautiful parks, and an incredible wildlife sanctuary on Plum Island.

I also learned there is a nuclear power plant within 10 miles of where I live. I’m old enough to remember the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, so I wanted to understand what risks there were in living so close to such a facility.  My research led me to the C-10 Research and Education Foundation, whose mission it is to protect public health and the environment surrounding the Seabrook nuclear power plant.

From C-10’s website, I learned that living close to a nuclear power plant isn’t necessarily dangerous, but living next to the NextEra plant in Seabrook includes risks that no other plant in the world has, because it is the only plant in the world which was built using concrete that has ASR—Alkali-Silica Reaction.  

ASR degrades concrete over time and there is currently no cure for the problem. According to a report from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, some of the damage is already considered moderate-severe. Despite this, the owner of the plant, NextEra Energy Resources, is seeking an extension of its license from 2030 to 2050 and didn’t mention the ASR issue in their license extension application.

C-10 is concerned enough about the concrete issue that it has gone to court to intervene in a case relative to the plant’s current operating license.  A hearing on the license is scheduled for early next year.

As a new member, I urge you learn more about this issue and support C-10 in its efforts to protect public health and safety. Check out C-10.org for more information. We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful communities anywhere. In addition to preserving its history, we need to ensure its future.