News Archive 2003

Hizzoner's experience
Editorial
Times Herald-Record
July 18, 2003

So long as Rudy Giuliani isn't just selling his name to keep Indian Point open, his advice can be helpful.

There are two ways to look at the owners of the Indian Point nuclear power plant hiring Rudy Giuliani as a consultant on security and emergency planning:

-It is an effort to bolster the image of the company as a responsible neighbor by trading on Giuliani's well-burnished image as a calm, decisive leader whose credentials on security and emergency planning were forged in the hellfire of Ground Zero.

Which, of course, it is.

-It is a legitimate effort by Entergy Corp., Indian Point owner, to bolster the ability of the Hudson River nuclear power plant to withstand terrorist attacks and deal with other emergencies by using Giuliani's unique Sept. 11 experience.

Which, of course, it should also be.

To be clear: There is absolutely nothing wrong with Entergy or anyone else hiring a well-known public figure as a consultant, so long as he knows his stuff and isn't merely acting as a front to avoid costly improvements, or, in the case of Indian Point, a shutdown.

Cynics, and there are plenty of them when it comes to Indian Point, will say that Giuliani was hired for his name only. One group, the Project for Open Government, even called his hiring by Entergy "disgusting."

Why? Would the group prefer that Entergy hire some lesser-known (and cheaper) consultant to help it beef up its security plans? Or would it call that approach half-hearted?

Or, is it clinging to the unrealistic hope that Entergy will simply fold its cards, agree with critics who say that Indian Point is undefendable, that no effective evacuation plan can be devised and close the plant?

Energy is big business. It's profitable business. Sources of power are at a premium in the country.

Entergy didn't buy Indian Point to close it. That may eventually happen, but probably not without Entergy trying to correct any deficiencies that may be identified and convince the public – and federal regulatory officials – that the plant is safe and secure to run. That's what businesses generally do, until and unless the effort becomes too expensive.

Giuliani says Indian Point security looks good to him so far, even though some of the plant's own security staff have criticized it for, among other things, insufficient training and overwork. A mock attack planned for later this month could provide a gauge as to whose assessment is more accurate, Giuliani's or the workers'.

That exercise itself, set up by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has been panned because it won't be a surprise. But doing it without advance warning could result in someone actually getting shot, which might prove that security was effective, but wouldn't be a desirable outcome. Possible public panic is also a concern.

Giuliani is right in suggesting that training exercises are limited but valuable measurements. They can reveal gaps. If the attacks are not too predictable, but are planned with a bit of imagination, they can gauge how security staff respond to surprises and can help write better plans.

But Giuliani and Entergy are going to have to offer more than perfunctory statements that Indian Point performed acceptably on a mock attack. The former New York City mayor rebuilt his own flagging political image with the no-nonsense manner in which he directed the rescue and recovery at the World Trade Center. His chief currency was honesty and believability. He cannot offer anything less to the people of the Hudson Valley, particularly those living close to Indian Point. When he talks about the plant's ability to withstand a terrorist attack and to conduct an effective evacuation, he has to be doing more than earning his check from Entergy. He has to be willing to tell them if it's impossible.

Those are the primary concerns expressed by those who want the plant closed, although questions also have been raised about operational safety and the impact on river life of the power plant's cooling operation. All are significant and deserve comprehensive review by the appropriate government agencies.

In the meantime, Rudy Giuliani, who recently worked as a security consultant for Mexico City, is advising the owners of Indian Point on how to make it more secure. So long as it's the same Giuliani who stood tall when the Twin Towers fell, there's no harm.

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