Indian Point Unveils Plan for Changes

November 10, 2008

By Alexa James: ajames@ th-record.com  
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081110/NEWS/811100316
BUCHANAN - The Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan is pledging millions to follow the operational advice of an independent safety evaluation panel.

The 12-person panel of industry experts was hired in March to evaluate safety, security and emergency preparedness at the controversial plant. The more than $4-million study was conducted over the summer, and last week, plant officials unveiled their five-year, $100 million blueprint of changes.

Adjustments include:

- Hiring more full-time county coordinators to network with Orange, Putnam, Westchester and Rockland counties - the governments that fall within Indian Point's 10-mile evacuation zone.
- Enhancing the plant's tour program for the public (classes, politicians, special interest groups) and organizing more "open house" events.
- Constructing an emergency response facility at an off-site location. In an emergency, the facility could house federal, state and local response agencies for prolonged periods of time.
- Awarding grants to help municipalities upgrade and train their own emergency response teams.
- Strengthening relationships with academic institutions to ward off work-force shortages.
- Landscaping and remodeling the external perimeters of the plant to make it easier on the eyes.

"This report really is a road map for us to become a top-performing plant within the industry," said Indian Point spokesman Jerry Nappi.

Facility critics say this is all fine and dandy, but they'd still prefer a truly independent assessment - one that wasn't bankrolled by Entergy Nuclear, the New Orleans-based company that owns the plant.

The Riverkeeper environmental watchdog group said the panel's assessment failed to address the plant's impact on the Hudson River fish population but credited Entergy for moving in the right direction and improving its public outreach. "If Entergy wants to pay for this study and wants to spend more money to make improvements on the plant," said Phillip Musegaas, Hudson River program director for Riverkeeper, "it's hard to argue with that."