Printer-friendlyEnvironment DEC
From the January 2008 issue
Effort to Halt Indian Point Relicensing Announced
Papers to deny the relicensing of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant have been filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and identify dangerous deficiencies-including those related to terrorism, earthquakes, evacuation plans and the surrounding population density. Indian Point has a long history of safety incidents due to human error and equipment failure. Leaks of tritium and strontium-90 have seeped into the groundwater underneath the plant, and there is evidence they have reached the Hudson River. In addition, the facility stores radioactive materials on site because there is no long-term depository for high-level nuclear waste. A three-member panel of administrative law judges--the Atomic Safety Licensing Board--is expected to decide in March 2008 on whether to grant or deny the petition for intervention submitted by Governor Eliot Spitzer and Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant has operated on the banks of the Hudson River for forty years
The NRC process for renewing licenses has also been called into question. A recent report by the inspector general for the NRC states that, "Licensing reporting efforts need improvements," and "those who read reports could conclude that regulatory decisions are not adequately reviewed and documented." It also states that, "Licensees could enter into the extended period of operation without being in full compliance with license-renewal terms."
