Community Advisory Panel members were recognized for their 15 years of service to the Maine Yankee decommissioning and their continued support in the removal of the spent fuel from the Wiscasset site at their annual meeting September 20 at the Davis Island Grill.

The meeting was a reunion of members and former members of the panel. On hand were charter members Chairwoman Marge Kilkelly and Dan Thompson. The third charter member, Don Hudson, was unable to attend because of a previous commitment.

Other Community Advisory Panel members at the meeting included Ralph Keyes, Lewis Curtis and Steve Jarrett, members since 1999.  

Eric Howes, Public and Government Affairs Director for Maine Yankee, told the panel and former panel members that Maine Yankee appreciates the significant contributions each Community Advisory Panel member has made to the public’s understanding of decommissioning and the safe secure storage at the spent nuclear fuel and Greater than Class waste.

“Your willingness to participate in numerous lengthy meetings, and invest the time to learn the issues associated with decommissioning and spent nuclear fuel storage is truly extraordinary,” Howes said.

“We thank you for your many years of service and hope you continue to provide us with your advice as together we wait the day the federal government fulfills the commitment to remove the spent fuel from the site,” he said.

Former Community Advisory Panel member Ray Shadis of Edgecomb, who served on the panel throughout the decommissioning and led the charge to shut down Maine Yankee, told the group he learned a great deal about the risks and questionable rewards of nuclear power.

“It was like going to nuclear school, and a people’s school, Even though sometimes we were opponents, the Community Advisory Panel provided a constructive dialogue that was very valuable to me,” Shadis said.

Community Advisory Panel member Steve Jarrett, who represented Wiscasset on the panel and is known as the resident farmer, jokingly said, in the early years, he was told that there was no problem seeing his cows because they glowed in the dark.

The Community Advisory Panel members enjoyed reminiscing about their 15 years of serving on the Maine Yankee Advisory Panel, and indicated their committee to the removal of the spent fuel from the Wiscasset site.