The nuclear power plant, Vermont Yankee has fueled protests across the state as people rally to have the station shut down. Research Professor Richard Watts held a book signing Wednesday for his Vermont Yankee novel following a heated discussion March 13 with students and local Vermonters focusing on why the plant should be shut down. Watts discussed his new book, Public Meltdown: The Story of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, March 21 to a packed Billings lecture hall the day the plant’s 40-year contract expired. Vermont Yankee has been a core part of the state for 40 years and tonight, the plant will no longer provide its power to Vermont, Watts said “For most of the time it has quietly been providing one third of our energy – until 12 o’clock tonight, contractually,” he said. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said there was a 26-4 bi-partisan vote against relicensing Vermont Yankee. “The book ends waiting to see if we are going to file an appeal,” Sorrell said. “This is a really, really important case of a real significance flooding.” Vermont Yankee uses a closed cooling system that takes water from the Connecticut River to cool the reactor. This can cause a lot of destruction to the Connecticut River, she said. The nuclear power station also has a small containment system for its radiation, so there is a higher chance of hydrogen explosions, which was also the problem in Japan, Gundersen said. Another panelist, Jared Margolis, attorney for the New England Coalition, has been trying to shut down the plant since 2008 and spoke of the legal implications with the continued operation of Vermont Yankee. A Vermont statute states that because Vermont Yankee’s license is about to expire, then their existing license continues to be in effect while the application for a new license is reviewed, Margolis said. “Entergy has claimed this gives them the basis for continued operation after March 21 while their new license is being reviewed,” Margolis said. The statute was amended to state that Entergy could only own and operate Vermont Yankee after March 21 for deconditioning purposes, he said. In response to recent protests against Vermont Yankee, chairman and CEO of Entergy Corporation J. Wayne Leonard said the company has pledged to take further steps in ensuring safety equipment is protected. “We greatly appreciate the backing of our supporters and respect the rights of opponents to peacefully protest,” Leonard said. Vermont Yankee is the second largest nuclear generating company in the U.S. and provides one third of Vermont’s electricity, according to the Vermont Yankee website.