Current News

by Mike Faher/The Commons Entergy wants additional disposal options for Vermont Yankee’s contaminated water, but federal regulators say they don’t yet know enough about the liquid to approve that request. Citing “uncertainty in the concentration of radionuclides in the water,” the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is holding off on allowing Entergy to ship Vermont Yankee water to a facility in Idaho.

Vermont Business Magazine Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon is the third district in the past three years in the Rutland region to undertake major building improvement projects paid for with energy cost savings through a partnership with Johnson Controls. The two are implementing a $3.6 million energy performance contract that will help the school make much-needed upgrades to the building and dramatically reduce its carbon emissions, while paying for the improvements over the next 18 years through substantial energy cost savings.

by Mike Faher/The Commons A developer says preliminary environmental studies — including detailed assessments of noise and visual impacts — have shown no “red flags” for the proposed 28-turbine, 96.6-megawatt Stiles Brook Wind Project in Windham County. But no scientific studies are needed to gauge the level of skepticism some residents feel about the project.

Vermont Business Magazine Orange County is Vermont's stealth agricultural county, flying under the radar as the county with the third most farms in the state (748), fourth in agricultural sales ($55 million), and fifth in land in agricultural production (105,235 acres). Beef and livestock farms are on the rise and the county is third highest in vegetable sales.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin provided the following update on PFOA private well and agricultural product testing results from North Bennington and Pownal. Three maple syrup samples were taken in North Bennington two weeks ago and tested for PFOA. All results came back clean with no detection of PFOA. The Agency of Agriculture has been working in tandem with the Department of Environmental Conservation to determine if the environmental contamination of PFOA extends to soils and the agricultural products produced in the area. Soil results are expected within a week. The “non-detect” result of the maple syrup testing is a welcome early sign.

Vermont Business Magazine In an effort to reduce overprescribing of opioid pain relievers, Vermont Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD, and dozens of public health officials, health care organizations, medical experts, and consumer advocacy groups from across the country today petitioned the Joint Commission, an agency that accredits health care organizations, and to the federal agency that oversees Medicare. Signers are requesting changes to pain management requirements they believe foster dangerous prescribing practices.

Vermont Business Magazine Following up on previous guidance provided to solar projects this past December, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and Department of Public Service provided additional guidance to all companies, including utilities, who market renewable energy projects in Vermont. “Today’s Guidance follows the earlier statement on solar energy projects and clarifies that all renewable energy projects must comply with the law and avoid deceptive marketing statements,” said Attorney General Sorrell.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), one of the core of congressmen who helped develop the US EB-5 immigrant investor program, is urging Congress today to reform the program. In his statement below, Leahy points out that wealthy areas of the country, in particular Manhattan, have benefited from the program that is intended to bring much-needed capital to rural and poorer areas of the nation. Developers have been able to do this by "gerrymandering" where they want to build with poor areas in the city to create EB-5 districts that qualify for the lower investor amount of $500,000. A wealthy district would require a $1 million investment from each immigrant investor.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Gas Systems announced today plans to offer renewable natural gas (RNG) to customers this year. Renewable natural gas from agriculture and landfills will be offered to participating customers who sign up for the program.

“This is an environmental win-win for our customers. Natural gas is a cleaner and more affordable home heating option for almost 50,000 Vermont families and businesses. Beginning this fall, our customers can further reduce their carbon footprint by choosing to heat their homes and businesses with renewable natural gas,” said Vermont Gas CEO Don Rendall.

Capturing methane from farms and landfills provides dual environmental benefits by preventing an intense greenhouse gas pollutant from entering the atmosphere (allowing the constructive use of a waste product as energy) and displacing other higher-emitting fuels such as heating oil and propane.

Vermont Business Magazine Nominations are now open for the 2017 Vermont Teacher of the Year program. The public is invited to join Vermont educators to  directly nominate teachers for the prestigious statewide distinction; the winner serves as an advocate for Vermont’s teachers, students and education system. Nominations can be completed through May 31. To encourage more submissions, the process has been simplified to require only the most basic information about the nominator, the nominee, and their school, as well as a short overview of what makes the nominee an extraordinary teacher.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin has ordered flags statewide to fly at half-staff in honor of former Vermont Chief Justice Fred Allen, who passed away this weekend. The governor has ordered flags lowered tomorrow at sunrise through Friday at sunset. The governor issued the following statement.