A Vernon organic dairy farmer says he's been approached by developers who want to build a natural gas power plant outside the shuttered Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
Art Miller, of Miller Farm, made the surprise announcement Wednesday night at an informational hearing on the proposed $750 million project.
"We'd rather be farming than be in a center of a conflict," Miller said. "Within our own family we've been discussing this topic, you know, 'How do we handle a plant?' Because we don't want to be in the middle of conflict, we'd rather be farmers, and farmers tend to be more passive than that. But we have been approached by it."
Developers want to build a natural gas power plant using fracked gas from a pipeline that might be built within seven miles of Vernon.
Vernon is considered a prime location for the plant because of the Velco switchyard outside of Vermont Yankee.
The exact location of the plant is still in question, but Miller says his family is considering selling their land to developers.
Vernon is holding a nonbinding referendum on Town Meeting Day on the gas plant, which could produce as much power as VY.
Developers say they are watching the outcome of the vote, and will not move forward if the town is opposed to the project.
