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News Archive 2002
At Meeting, U.S. Agency Says Indian
Point 2 Safety Has Improved
By WINNIE HU
05/31/2002
The New York Times
Page 5, Column 1
c. 2002 New York Times Company
VERPLANCK, N.Y., May 30 -- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
officials said today that they had seen significant improvements
at the troubled Indian Point 2 reactor, but added that they
would reserve final judgment about safety at the nuclear power
plant until on-site inspections could be held in June and
July.
Hubert J. Miller, a regional administrator for the commission,
cited positive changes in management and employee training
since the Entergy Corporation took over the plant in nearby
Buchanan from Consolidated Edison in September. But he cautioned
that the complexity of the problems would take time to resolve.
''We're not looking for this plant to be problem-free,''
he told Entergy officials during a public meeting at the Verplanck
Fire Department that drew about 70 people, including Indian
Point employees and nuclear opponents. ''With the inspections
done to this point and this meeting, the best we can say is,
'You're heading in the right direction.' ''
In recent years, the reactor -- about 40 miles north of Midtown
Manhattan -- has been plagued by a series of minor leaks and
safety lapses, including a February 2000 radiation leak that
closed the plant for nearly a year. As a result, the N.R.C.
heightened its scrutiny of Indian Point 2, and assigned it
the worst performance rating of any reactor in the nation.
Next month, a half-dozen inspectors are expected to visit
Indian Point 2, and their findings over the next two months
will help determine whether the plant's rating will improve.
Fred Dacimo, vice president of operations for Indian Point
2, said Entergy had spent millions of dollars to repair or
upgrade pumps, electrical systems and other equipment that
has increased the reliability of the plant's everyday operations.
To date, he said, the plant has been generating electricity
for 152 days without interruption.
In addition, he said, a backlog in routine maintenance work
has been reduced by 55 percent, and new training and education
programs have been put in place to encourage employees at
every level of the workforce to identify and report potential
problems at the plant. '' Entergy is committed to the safety
and reliability of the Indian Point Energy Center for the
long term,'' he said.
But some people who attended today's meeting said they remained
concerned about the safety of the plant. ''I know they've
only owned it for nine months, but to me, I think there should
have been even more progress,'' said Linda Puglisi, supervisor
for the town of Cortlandt.
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