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News Archive 2003 Escape from New
York
Editorial
New York Daily News
August 2, 2003
By approving a feckless evacuation plan for the Indian Point
nuclear power plant, the federal government has left New York
dangerously vulnerable in case of accident or terror attack.
Given that Westchester County and Gov. Pataki refuse to certify
the plan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission must be pressured to revise
it.
The escape plan served up by Entergy, the plant's owner,
is basically this: Unless you live within 2 miles of the reactors,
stay put and close your windows. We'll get to you. Everyone
else, run away, run away! But please, single file and no talking.
On the stupidity/ineffectiveness scale, it's right up there
with "duck and cover." Are FEMA and the NRC stuck
in the 1950s? Not good. Not good at all.
This plant is within 35 miles of midtown Manhattan. An accident,
or an act of terror, would affect millions in the metropolitan
area. But neither is Indian Point the Chernobyl-on-the-Hudson
that its opponents portray. Taking chances should not be an
option, but the issue must be dealt with in a systematic and
rational manner without creating mass hysteria.
The fact that Pataki is not demanding Indian Point's immediate
closure is reassuring. He lives within 8 miles of the place.
If there were an imminent threat, he'd be locking the doors
himself. Instead, he is using his influence to persuade the
feds to draft a better plan and make sure the reactors are
safe.
Realistically, Indian Point can't be closed unless and until
a new source of energy is found for the 2 million homes the
2,000-megawatt plant serves. And even then, it would take
years to dispose of the nuclear fuel rods stored at the site.
Currently, there is no facility in the nation that accepts
the nuclear waste.
The NRC released performance reviews in May showing that
Indian Point 3 is one of the best-run nuclear plants in the
country. Indian Point 2 continues to make significant improvements.
This week, Entergy conducted mock attacks to check its security.
That's a start. Now let the Legislature and New York's congressional
delegation join the gov in a concerted effort to get the evacuation
plan revised.
Eventually, the Indian Point reactors will have served out
their useful lifespans and will have to be taken off-line.
But that will be years from now. At that point, new power
plants will have to be built. Albany, Washington and Entergy
should start planning for that day now. The sooner new sources
of electricity can be found, the sooner Indian Point can be
shut down. But until that happens, making it safe must be
the highest priority.
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