Indian Point siren testing runs until mid-June

Indian Point siren testing runs until mid-June
By ERIC TOBEYTHE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: June 5, 2007)
Indian Point will test emergency sirens until the middle of the month, part of an effort to install a new $15 million notification system for the nuclear plant.
The testing, which began yesterday and will continue until June 15, will be done on 20 of the 150 new sirens in the 10-mile evacuation zone around the plant that includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Orange counties.
"The tests are for gathering data on the volume of individual sirens," said Jim Steets, a spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which owns and operates Indian Point. "We want to verify that the sirens are working as designed."
The company is working to install the new system no later than Aug. 24, after missing a second deadline in April that cost Entergy $130,000 in federal fines.
Residents within hearing distance of each siren test will be notified of the full-volume soundings before by a recorded telephone message. No action by the public is required.
In the event of a real emergency, the sirens are used to alert residents to tune into the local radio or TV stations for more information. The new sound of the siren is a consistent, unwavering loud tone, according to Entergy.
Tests will be done generally at 9 a.m., noon or 3 p.m. There also might be more than one sounding of each siren.
For specific locations and dates of each test, log onto www.safesecurevital.com.