Indian Point debate

Indian Point debate
(Original publication: August 6, 2007)

Criticism hurts plant's employees
I was shocked to read Rep. Nita Lowey's comments about Indian Point in the July 24 article, "Nuclear regulators want updated inventory of uranium 235 at Indian Point." Rep. Lowey falsely describes Indian Point as having "loosey-goosey security measures." I have worked at numerous nuclear facilities on the East Coast and I can tell you that Indian Point's security is second to none.
As someone who has worked at the Indian Point power plants for many years, as well as being the person responsible for sending men and women into a safe work environment, it is always distressing when local gadfly types promote misinformation about nuclear power and Indian Point.
Even more irresponsible was Rep. Lowey's comment that "the incompetence at Indian Point imperils an entire region." In one swift stroke Rep. Lowey managed to insult and malign the more than 1,200 workers who labor every day to make sure her lights are on.
Since Rep. Lowey is adamant about closing Indian Point, perhaps she could share with us what she intends to do about replacing the 2000 megawatts of energy that Indian Point produces for the region. Will she allow approximately 800 windmills to be built in her back yard? Will she supply everyone with candles?
Rep. Lowey is wrong and her extreme comments, inserted into an otherwise informative story, are insulting to the legions of individuals who have worked at Indian Point over the years.

Bob Seeger
Hopewell Junction
The writer is business manager of Millwwright & Machinery Erectors, Local 740.

Indian Point review is needed
In response to Jerry Kremer's July 30 letter, "Extra Indian Point review unnecessary," it is worth noting that Indian Point is among the most scrutinized plants in the country because it has had more problems than others, including multiple and continuing unplanned releases of radioactivity, being the only plant in the U.S. that is known to be leaking strontium 90, cesium and other radioactive elements into the environment. The plant has had more unplanned outages than others, which resulted in a lowered safety rating. This plant also has an evacuation plan that was thoroughly studied by a former director of FEMA and declared to be inadequate and largely unfixable. And their efforts to install a workable siren system are like a long running soap opera. Indian Point is also built on top of a seismic fault.
And Mr. Kremer's assessment of the relicensing review is a horrible joke since it includes only non-moving parts of the plant, such as the extensive and leaking pipe system, which is largely inaccessible to inspection because it is buried or imbedded in concrete. The only way the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can check the integrity of the pipes is by digging wells and saying "not leaking yet." It is also worth noting that the existing leaks were found by accident during construction work and not because of the NRC's presence at the plant.
Mr. Kremer should state that his organization has been founded and highly funded by Entergy. Paid spokesmen should be more forthright.

Gary Shaw
Croton-on-Hudson

Please note NYAREA is funded by Entergy
Thank you for your continuing coverage of the Indian Point. It is important to present various views. However, it is also important not to allow Entergy to mislead the public into believing that a group established by Entergy to promote Indian Point, the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (NYAREA), is some sort of independent grassroots organization. The July 30 letter by NYAREA chairman Jerry Kremer, "Extra Indian Point review unnecessary," describes NYAREA as "a nonprofit organization advocating for reliable, affordable and clean energy solutions."
I would hope that The Journal News is, by now, aware that NYAREA is a prime example of an industry front group. The Center for Media and Democracy did an expose of nuclear industry front groups which focused specifically on Entergy and NYAREA. Note, in particular, that in Massachusetts there is a pro-nuke group called MassAREA which - by amazing coincidence - also has Entergy as a member and funder!
Given the millions of dollars Entergy has expended in its ongoing PR campaign, I think it is critically important that articles mentioning NYAREA give recognition to - at the very least - the fact that Entergy has been a funding source. Entergy has admitted to having funded NYAREA, but has been very cutesy about the degree of such funding; nevertheless, The Journal News can simply note the financial connection.

Michel Lee
White Plains
The writer is a member of the Steering Committee on Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition and chairman for the Council on Intelligent Energy & Conservation Policy.
Letters to the editor

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Gary Shaw, Michel Lee, Kali Fasteau, and Stephen Filler ARE IPSEC. (Bill Smirnow lives in L.I.) That's it. Half a dozen neo-communist plotters, who sit there and write, and email, and post, and organize, for ten over years. 6 people. But lately, they do have some success. UFO cultist Remy Chevalier has now joined them! WHOOOPIE!
Posted by: pepe on Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:47 am

Here are some sites that everybody can check out on Google. 1 Living on Earth: 3 MILE ISLAND TWENTY YEARS LATER. 2 Living on Earth: A NUCLEAR INCIDENT WORSE THAN 3 MILE ISLAND. 3 PENNSYLVANIA HIGHWAY: THREE MILE ISLAND 4 CHERNOBYL 5 TEN YEARS AFTER CHERNOBYL : PHOTO ARCHIVE 6 B.B.C. NEWS IN PICTURES : CHERNOBYLS LOST CITY How would you like to explain to your children why they look like THAT! Why they won't live very long. Why they'll never have children of their own. Some people sell their souls to live the good life. I guess they have the answers. They have paid a high price for them.
Posted by: ball on Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:29 am

HUNTINGTON, Utah - Six miners were trapped in a coal mine Monday by a cave-in so powerful that authorities initially thought it was small earthquake. The miners were believed to be 1,500 feet below ground, about four miles from the entrance to the mine, which is 140 miles south of Salt Lake City. University of Utah seismograph stations recorded a seismic waves of 3.9 magnitude early Monday, causing speculation that a minor earthquake had caused the cave-in. Scientists later realized the collapse at the Genwal mine had caused the disturbance. "There is no evidence that the earthquake triggered the mine collapse," said Walter Arabasz, director of the seismography stations. At least a half-dozen other mine collapses since 1995 have caused similar seismic waves, including one in southwestern Wyoming that caused readings as high as 5.4 on the Richter scale. Indian Point was designed to withstand an earthquake of greater than 4 magnitude richter scale. Number of deaths attributable to nuclear power operations in the United States since the first plant became operational in 1960: ZERO. Number of deaths due to coal mining this week? Or how about this Year? Or how about since 1960? Now which technology is dangerous and which is safe?
Posted by: nuclear environmentalist on Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:31 pm

Cheers to Nita Lowey. Did she mention CANCER? A plant that has trouble installing a siren system shouldn't worry about robots or Mars rovers. Sure NYAREA is funded by Entergy. Just go to their website. NYAREA is co- chaired by Christine Todd Whitman . Remember her from post 911 clean up fame? Need any more reasons to doubt Entergies competence? Now let's hear some more about those HUD grants.
Posted by: ball on Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:20 pm

And we are not to believe that IPSEC is nothing more than 200 x-hippies who are a front group for riverkeeper? Open a can of worms lately? If I told you the sky is green would you believe it without proof? BTW who pays for you to "STEER"? I don't think Gary Shaw has ever heard of robots. How can we send 2 rovers to Mars and not be able to inspect pipes.
Posted by: big bad bill on Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:00 am