KAPLOWITZ STATEMENT ON INDIAN
POINT FIRE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2007
Contact: Michael B. Kaplowitz
Tel: (914) 924-3404 cell
“This morning’s explosion and fire in the transformer yard at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, and subsequent shutdown of unit 3, further evidence the need for an Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) of these plants.
Entergy and the NRC can no longer expect people to believe their repeated claims that everything is safe and secure at the Indian Point site. The public is understandably shaken by the multitude of problems and shutdowns that occur, and they deserve an ISA. This is the third incident this week alone. Earlier in the week a steam generator problem resulted in the manual shutdown of IP3, and 123 out of 150 of the new warning sirens failed their test.
I am calling on Entergy to voluntarily join those of us who are asking for an Independent Safety Assessment, and make a formal request to the NRC urging them to agree to the ISA, as called for in the Westchester Legislature’s Resolution No. 17-2007 (below).”
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BOARD OF LEGISLATORS (ABINANTI, KAPLOWITZ)
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER,
STATE OF NEW YORK
RESOLUTION NO. 17- 2007
WHEREAS, Entergy is the owner and operator of two nuclear power plants, Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3, located in the Village of Buchanan, Westchester County, New York; and
WHEREAS, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is the federal regulatory agency overseeing, regulating and licensing IP2 and IP3; and
WHEREAS, the NRC has the power and authority to order an Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) of IP2 and IP3; and
WHEREAS, such an ISA was conducted at the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, and
WHEREAS, there are concerns over the historical safety record of Indian Point, especially in light of the age of the Indian Point facilities, which could compromise the health and safety of Westchester residents; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Westchester County, because of their close proximity to Indian Point, deserve to have a clear and accurate assessment of any and all safety problems or issues that are currently known or may be discovered at Indian Point; and these issues should be presented to the public in a timely manner after discovery; and
WHEREAS, the NRC, in spite of the problems and safety issues experienced by IP2 and IP3, has refused to order an ISA of IP2 and IP3; and
WHEREAS, legislation was introduced in both Houses of the 109th U.S. Congress (H.R.4891 and S.2488) that would have mandated the NRC to order a Maine Yankee-style ISA on the vital systems of Indian Point and require FEMA to justify, with specificity, its approval of the IP evacuation plan despite the findings of the 2003 Witt Report, commissioned by then New York State Governor George Pataki, which detailed the impossibility of evacuation should an incident occur at the Indian Point site; and
WHEREAS, that legislation which would have required:
1) a "vertical slice" review of all operating systems;
2) a "horizontal" review of all plant maintenance;
3) a rigorous re-evaluation of the feasibility of the evacuation plan for Indian Point;
4) a mandate that independent experts conduct the review, and
5) a mandate that the review be monitored by local officials; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Westchester County Board of Legislators requests that the 110th United States Congress enact legislation that would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct an Independent Safety Assessment of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plants through the reintroduction and passage of H.R.4891 and S.2488 (109th Congress); and be it further
RESOLVED, that this Honorable Board requests that New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer and New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo join the Westchester County Legislature, on behalf of the public health and safety of Westchester residents, and also make a formal request to New York’s 110th Congressional Delegation to immediately reintroduce and pass S.2488 and H.R.4891 as introduced in the 109th Congress; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Board forward a copy of this Resolution to New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer and New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, United States Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Representatives Eliot Engel, Nita Lowey, John Hall, Maurice Hinchey and Christopher Shays, so that the intent of this Honorable Board be widely known.
Passed by full Board, 15-0
Dated: February 12, 2007
White Plains, New York
