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BUCHANAN, N.Y. — “Now” was the message hundreds of activists chanted as they gathered outside Indian Point on Sunday, calling for the closure of New York’s nuclear power plant.
One year after an earthquake led to a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, anti-nuclear activists commemorated the incident and renewed their call for the closure of Indian Point.
“They deceive themselves into believing the reactors are safe, if you were at the Fukushima you see that it is a lie. You see the deception and cover up,” said a plant worker from Fukushima who spoke through a translator at the event.
No More Fukushima’s Peace Walkers walked to the plant with signs and in hazmat suits, calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to shut it down.
Hudson River program director at Riverkeeper, Phillip Musegaas, announced Riverkeeper’s campaign Sunday aptly titled “Don’t Let it Happen Here.”
“When you look that the risk that Indian Point poses, and you start to look at the real information out there, real information about how we can replace this plant the choice is really simple. We need to close this plant,” Musegaas said.
Musegaas said those in attendance and elsewhere needed to call on the governor to have the plant closed because he has the power to do it.
“He can order state agencies to put out a request for proposals to replace 2000 megawatts of energy in the Hudson valley,” Musegaas said.
Mark Jacobs, who hosted the speeches outside the plant, warned Cuomo that he could be the governor who shut down the plant, or the governor who didn’t.
Cortlandt Council Member Richard Becker was out in full support of closing the plant on Sunday, saying it’s something that never would have been built today.
“I don’t think there’s anything that can make it absolutely safe, I don’t believe that you can count on every contingency,” Becker said. “This is something we cannot guarantee the safety of forever."
Indian Point Spokesperson Jerry Nappi said the plant, which is currently on the track to be relicensed, was designed to withstand catastrophes multiple times the size of what happened in Japan.
“Even before Fukushima the plant was designed to withstand an earthquake 100 times stronger than has ever been experienced in this area, and at least twice the level of flooding,” Nappi said. “Fukushima had nothing like the safety margins we currently have.”
Prior to the disaster, the Indian Point had eight diesel electric generators in four different locations, all at elevations protected from flooding. Since Fukushima, it has added two additional pieces of diesel powered equipment and additional pumps to help with flooding.
Comments (4)
All this singing of kumbaya can not change the fact that we need the electricity the plant produces, and it will take years to build replacement plants that can supply the reduction, not to mention these new plants or plant will most likely burn fossil fuels as there really is not and never will be enough windmills to do it. In addition, I would like each of those protesters to sign a pledge they would all make up the difference in tax payments to the Hendrick Hudson School District that amounts to at least $22,000,000! All of you can start putting your money where your mouth is this week by sending in the first checks.
I would sign your tax pledge if you will sign mine saying you will compensate everyone for their loses when these reactors spill radiation into our yards. A mistake was made in the 1960's allowing these plants so close to so many people. Obviously, with hindsight we can see this.
Yes we need the electricity but that can be made up easily from interstate in the short term and from new power plants long term. If NY loses 20% of its energy production from IP market forces will crate other players to provide what is needed, that is how capitalism works.
Close Indian Point NOW!!!!
Okay when you have completed the necessary wind mills, rats running on treadmills hooked to generators and it provides the school system with the money I will learn the words to kumbaya and help bury the spent fuel rods in your back yard.
You do realize that more people have died building the Hoover Dam and the Empire State Building than have died either directly or indirectly from radiation poisoning in the entire history of US nuclear powerplant operations?
The truth is, nuclear is safe, it has the lowest operating cost of any energy production mechanism, it has the highest energy concentration (i.e. smallest footprint) of any production mechanism, it has zero greenhouse gas emissions, and it has the potential to completely eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign petroleum.
Let's also look at the economic benefits of Indian Point (and other plants like it). Indian Point contributes $1.5 Billion to our US economy (2004 Nuclear Energy Institute Study). They paid $25.3 million in taxes to Westchester County alone in 2002. Indian Point contributes $171.4 million in labor income to Westchester and the surrounding 5 counties and an additional $39.7 million to other areas in NY.
So, let's try to figure out what will happen should $25+ million in tax revenue to the county disappears, especially considering we are already one of the highest taxed counties in the country. Let's also try to figure out what happens to our local unemployment rate should $170+ million in high-skilled, high-education income disappears.
Now, let's try to figure out alternatives. Who is willing to install hundreds of acres of windmills in our area? Who want's solar farms? Maybe coal or natural gas fired power plants in Westchester is an option? Does anyone want to install dams and flood a hundred square miles of land for hydro-electic power? Maybe we can reclaim the coastlines for tidal energy - I'm sure seaside folks would support that.
Finally, on to costs. From a purely financial standpoint, solar, wind and hydro plants are more expensive to install, maintain and operate, so that means higher energy generating rates. Looking for a federal subsidy? Tax payers are the one's ultimately on the hook to fund said subsidies, so at the end of the day, you would be paying more in electric cost AND more in taxes - not exactly a viable solution.
I certainly understand the apprehension that you have towards nuclear, but most of your fears have very little basis in scientific or economic fact. Yes, disposal of radioactive fuel is a concern, but there are geologic repositories that are ready to be brought on-line (see Yucca Mountain) that can offer safe containment for tens-of-thousands of years, as soon as all of the politicians stop posturing and stop the FUD and NIMBY campaigns. There are solutions to the spent fuel, namely reprocessing and next generation Thorium reactors, but reprocessing fuel is being stalled by politics and next generation reactors involve billions in investments. Such an enormous investment is not going to be made in a wishy-washy, politically charged environment. Investments in Throium reactors would require 10-20 years to recoup, and with the anti-nuke sentiment after Fukushima, no energy producer will be willing to commit to it.