Indian Point Energy Center [nuclear power plant], New York - Entergy Nuclear Operations
Way back in 2006 you were concerned about Indian Point. On November 22, 2006, you made a statement called "Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Entergy's Intention to Apply for Re-Licensing of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plants", saying "Everything should be on the table during the re-licensing process, and the public's concerns must be addressed. That means a comprehensive evaluation of safety, security and emergency preparedness before any decisions are made."
The most recent development as of this writing. On May 5, 2016, in THE WATCHDOG, Hudson Riverkeeper Charles Gallway blog, "NRC officials finally admit: Indian Point is not safe as they told us" "With this reversal, the NRC admits that their analysis was misleading, used erroneous data and was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. It also means that another analysis needs to be conducted"A more honest assessment of the damage an accident at Indian Point could be a game changer in the fight to shut Indian Point. A rigorous analysis should show that all this talk about being 'safe, secure and vital' is just bunk. Indian Point has had seven unplanned shutdowns in just a year; a huge spike in radioactive groundwater contamination, and an unprecedented degree of failed bolts in the core of the Unit 2 Reactor. Together, these failures prove that the continued operation of the two reactors is a game of Russian roulette with our lives and our environment at stake"It's time to be honest with ourselves about the danger it poses to us, each day it remains open."
PoliticoNewYork posted this story on April 28, 2016. "ALBANY -- The Indian Point nuclear center had more degraded bolts than any nuclear facility ever tested in the nation, according to the Nuclear Energy Commission. In all more than a quarter of the facility's bolts, or 227 of the 832 that were examined, were degraded, according to the NRC. Two were missing bolt heads. The deterioration was discovered when Indian Point's Unit 2 reactor was shut down for routine maintenance and refueling last month. The number of degraded baffle-former bolts was the largest seen to date at a U.S. reactor, the NRC said on Wednesday".Maintenance issues at Indian Point have been seized upon by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who wants the plant to close for safety reasons because it is about 30 miles from Manhattan. He called the faulty bolts the 'latest in a long series of incidents that raise deep concerns about the management, maintenance and equipment standards at this plant.'"
In your interview with Capital Tonight on April 4, 2016, Liz Benjamin asked you about energy policy [at 8:26] and also says Bernie Sanders wants nuclear policy change" and [at 8:40] "that he [Bernie Sanders] called yesterday for the closure of Indian Point [nuclear power plant in New York], for example." She asks you if you have changed your mind regarding any New York specific energy. You respond [at 8:54) "No, and here's why" and then you talk about the climate crisis. Then [at 9:24] you talk about your plan for transition to clean renewable energy. You say [at 9:59] "and then with nuclear," that you heard that he [Bernie Sanders] called for the closing of Indian Point and say "I'm glad he discovered Indian Point. But when I was Senator, I went after oversight, I went after safety". There's a current Nuclear Regulatory Commission study being undertaken. But we also have to be realistic and say you get 25% of the electricity in the greater New York City area from Indian Point. I don't want middle-class tax payers to see a huge rate increase. So this has to be done in a careful, thoughtful way...."
A nuclear power plan that is more concerned about money that tax payers pay than safety, is unacceptable. Moreover, the NRC is a lap dog for the nuclear industry. They have not yet refused to license a npp. There are many reports by groups and individuals who are watchdogs about Indian Point and the dangers there past and present about the tritium from Indian Point leaking into the Hudson River. They have been calling for Indian Point to close for some time. And as you noted in the interview, Governor Cuomo has also called for Indian Point to close. At the same time the NRC and Entergy, the owner of Indian Point, say there is nothing to be alarmed about.
Some questions remain: what happened between 2006 and 2016 with your ideas and plans for Indian Point? What specific kind of "careful, thoughtful way" will you take before you come out and say that you too are for closing Indian Point now or that you want to keep it running and why? There is a very huge danger now, as pointed out by many. You say you "went after safety" in the Capitol Tonight interview. Do you think Indian Point is safe now? What do you mean by "realistic?" What will it take for you to be more concerned about the public health and public safety issues of Indian Point than tax increases? When will it be time to have "the public's concerns addressed?"
The New York Daily News wrote on February 8, 2016, that "Cuomo and his administration had already asked federal officials not to extend the license of the Indian Point plants, noting that there is no effective safety and evacuation plan for the more than 20 million people who live within 50 miles of the site. The nuclear plant located roughly 35 miles north of the city has a history of groundwater contamination. A federal oversight agency issued a report after about 100,000 gallons of tritium-tainted water entered the groundwater supply in 2009, and elevated levels of tritium also were found in two monitoring wells at the plant in 2014."
"On Monday, [November 16, 2015] J im Malatras, Cuomo's director of state operations, wrote to the NRC to oppose the relicensing.He said there was no safety evacuation route for the 20 million people who live within 50 miles of the plant, in the event of a serious accident. Malatras cited 'embrittled reactor pressure vessels and fatigued metals on key reactor components' as key reasons why the federal NRC should reject the plant's attempts to relicense.
"'Entergy's proposed inspection and monitoring will not solve the serious concerns particular to this problematic plant,' he wrote. 'Allowing Entergy to operate these facilities for another 20 years puts the lives of too many New Yorkers at risk and cannot be justified by Entergy's present plan to address these defects.'
"In his letter, Malatras said the NRC should 'expedite' its rejection. He also cited a possible terrorist risk as a reason why the federal government should reject the licenses.
'As New Yorkers know all too well, the growth of significant national security risks from internal and external forces makes the continued operation of this plant for another 20 years irresponsible,' he wrote."
On February 17, 2016, a press release by a wide range of environmental and health groups made a --Call For Immediate Indian Point Shutdown...while urgently needed investigations by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and three New York State agencies are conducted."
"For Immediate Release: February 17, 2016
Contact:
Roger Downs, Conservation Director, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, 518-426-9144; roger.downs|AT|albany.twcbc.comEmail address
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