| County association
joins pro-Indian Point group
By Alex Philippidis
Westchester County Business Journal
March 15, 2004
The Westchester County Association Inc. has become the third
county business group to signal its support for the continued
operation of Indian Point by joining a regional coalition
of business, labor and minority groups whose members include
the owner-operator of the Buchanan nuclear power plants.
The New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (New
York AREA) said the region can best meet future energy needs
by fostering development of more power plants and keeping
existing ones open - especially Indian Point.
Indian Point is at the center of a debate over whether its
risks to public safety and the environment - especially in
the event of a sudden radiation release or 9/11-style plane
crash into the facility - outweigh benefits such as 2,000
megawatts (mw) of power and 1,500 jobs.
"Lacking alternative sources at this time, the plants
should be kept in operation" as one of several steps
to ensure adequate power for Westchester and the metropolitan
area, the county association declared in a March 3 written
statement covering energy issues addressed by New York AREA.
The county association also agrees with New York AREA that
the state "Article X" process of reviewing power
plant applications should be renewed immediately; it expired
at the end of 2002.
The 700-member county association has aligned itself with
Indian Point operator Entergy Corp. as well as two other Westchester
business groups - the Construction Industry Council of Westchester
and Hudson Valley Inc., a Tarrytown group representing 550
contractors and their suppliers in Westchester and seven other
counties; and the 1,100-member Business Council of Westchester,
which last year urged that Indian Point stay open.
ADVOCACY COMMITMENT
By joining New York AREA, the county association also reinforced
its recommitment to issue advocacy - a commitment president
William M. Mooney Jr. and chairman Andrew Robel announced
last fall, following the retirement last June of Mooney's
predecessor, Lawrence E. Dwyer Jr.
Two years ago under Dwyer, the association's policy research
arm released a pair of reports that echoed two arguments made
by Indian Point operator Entergy Nuclear, without
directly endorsing the continued operation of the nuclear
plants.
The Westchester Public Issues Institute concluded in separate
reports that a Sept. 11-style attack was unlikely to happen
at Indian Point, and that a shutdown would lead to costlier
power as well as more blackouts and brownouts for Westchester.
Such arguments have drawn fire from a coalition of environmentalists
and elected officials led by the Garrison environmental group
Riverkeeper Inc.
Riverkeeper says more energy conservation and promotion of
alternative energy sources would dampen projected price hikes
if the plant were to shut down - an argument rejected by Entergy.
"The county association has never invited us to present
our case on why we can live without the power being produced
at Indian Point," said Kyle Rabin, senior policy analyst
with Riverkeeper. "It seems that this organization is
unfortunately not acting impartially. They're supporting one
of their major players."
The county association has said its advocacy reflects its
views on the best interests of Westchester businesses, rather
than best interests of Entergy or other members
Entergy received welcome news last week when the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission gave its highest "green" rating
for both Indian Point 2 and 3.
Rabin said the group and other Indian Point foes would continue
their effort to shut down the nuclear plants through resolutions
by local governments. Last month Greenburgh's Town Board passed
a resolution urging the U.S. Nuclear Energy Commission to
reject license renewals for Indian Point.
Westchester's Board of Legislators passed a similar resolution
last November. Both boards are among 330 in the region that
previously resolved that Indian Point should be closed.
The license for Indian Point 2 expires in 2013; Indian Point
3, two years later.
In its statement, the county association said it would sponsor
a forum intended to address energy issues "in the near
future."
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