Tuesday, March 06, 2007

INDIAN POINT IS NOT FINED FOR LEAKS, VIOLATIONS

I spoke at a forum sponsored by Clearwater and Pace University this weekend. Among the issues discussed was the fact that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can fine Entergy ( Indian Point) up to $110,000 a day per violation for leaks and other violations. Since 1998 the NRC has not imposed any fines on Indian Point for leaks. Many people are concerned that Indian Point has been leaking radioactive water from multiple sources, which has created several lakes or plumes of contaminated groundwater under the plant.
The failure of the NRC to impose fines against Entergy for violations provides the company with little incentive to correct the problems at the nuclear power plant. There have been many shutdowns at Indian Point. There have also been many other violations -- impacting our safety. I am urging our congressional delegation to pressure the NRC to start imposing fines.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Supervisor Feiner:

Do not mix myths with facts. Abby Luby's completely bogus New York Daily News fantasy about a "lake" beneath Indian Point is pure fiction. There is no lake, and certainly nothing the size Ms. Luby fantasized. But congrats to her, for penning an indelible lie, one that easily fools town supervisors.

The pre-existing Con Ed leak that Entergy is now remediating, did not happen on Entergy's watch. Yes, when they purchased the plant, they purchased all its wrinkles also, ...BUT... their proactive policy of high-tech Hudson stewardship is the most environmentally forward looking attitude in the industry, and NRC is looking to the "Entergy Solution" as a possible rulemaking to impose on other plants in groundwater issues--- ones who simply did nothing, and are still doing nothing today. If, or when Entergy gets fed up with New York State's nastiness, and lack of appreciation, as expressed by its low level, mainly Democratic political hangers on, it just may shut down, walk away, and leave Westchester to deal with its own leaks. But that's getting ahead of myself. The actual 179,000 gallons of very minimally tainted water, is being actively sucked out of the rock, and treated by Entergy , and no additional leak, or spreading of the old leak is anticipated. Please do not imply, that an active leak, from the operating portion of the plant exists. It does not. Just the old Con Ed leftovers. By the way, were you in office when Con Ed owned the place? I can't remember. But fine away(in your mind). When you get yourself a fossil-burning or garbage-burning power plant opposite your office in Greenburgh 10 years on, and rolling blackouts twice a week, you'll eat your words, and wish Entergy was still around.

And by the way, where have you been since the marathon? Haven't heard hide nor hair of you!

Aren't there any specifically Greenburgh issues to work on?

Anonymous said...

We are having a problem with Con Edison.Please do not look for more problems.I'm allergic to candle wax.Indian point has always had problems,some big some small,but they are needed for the electricity they generate.How many dead fish have been found dead in the hudson.Some say the water is cleaner than it ever was. We need them especially when you have an all electric home.Con edison is calling for a hike from its users,we have no other company to go to.Think about talking to New York State electrical co.,before you do something about Indian Point.

Anonymous said...

"I am urging our congressional delegation to pressure the NRC to start imposing fines."

I feel that your personal involvement with such issues is fine as your own personal interest, but certainly not a matter that a Town Supervisor needs to incorporate into a town governance blog.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Supervisor - you must be a glutton for punishment. You should fine yourself for failing to know the facts about this issue.

Anonymous said...

Indian Point is not in the town. However, an Indian Point meltdown will impact every family in the town. This is a town issue.

Anonymous said...

Maybe voting Mr. Feiner out, is the only way to get to the truth. Anyway, an explanation of how, and why, NRC either fines, or does not fine is found in these links.

If I found them, Mr. Feiner should have been able to, also.

The explanation, taken from a Congrssional GAO report, can be found at:

http://white-nuclearsnowflake.blogspot.com/2007/03/why-isa-is-nfg.html

Its not NRC talking, its not Entergy talking, and its not Feiner talking. Its the United States General Accountability office talking. Some exerpts:

In the area of performance indicators, there were 156 instances out of more than 30,000 reports, or less than 1 percent, in which data reported for individual indicators were outside of NRC’s acceptable performance category.Since 2001, the ROP has resulted in more than 4,000 inspection findings concerning nuclear power plant licensees’ failure to fully comply with NRC regulations and industry standards for safe plant operation.
Whether NRC takes enforcement actions in response to plant performance problems depends on whether there is a violation of a specific regulatory requirement.

Surf to the link, and learn what Mr. Feiner did not bother to learn..

Its a pity.

I wonder if any strictly Greenburg problems are being mishandled because of this obsession of his?

Royce Penstinger said...

I would encourage everyone to get the facts that Indian Point does not want you to know.

1. First, our elected officials need to look into the Shaw Group, and the 50/50 oartnership they formed with Entergy to actually build new reactors...it's also interesting to note, that a fully owned Shaw subsidiary convenietly holds the maintenance contracts for the Entergy fleet of dying reactors.

2. Further, a retiring NRC commissioner has let the cat out of the bag...if Entergy gets a 20 year license renewal, it will become a defacto FORTY YEAR relicensing of the failing reactors.

3. Entergy is far more involved in the GNEP program than they want us to know, and the real goal of GNEP is to force host community to hold the spent fuel onsite FOREVER by reclassifying the waste as potential use resources under a bogus plan of supposed recycling.

4. Bush is VERY pro-nuclear, and has the nickname in the nuclear industry of OUR NUCLEAR PRESIDENT. The Shaw Group donated $100 thousand dollars to the presidents inaugural celebration. The vice president of Entergy is a member of the board od the industry's lobbying arm, the NEI.

5. NEI completely funds the rabidly pro nuclear group, CASEnergy started by Greebpeace betrayer Patrick Moore...convenientlt, Jeb Bush is an important member of this group.

6. It was George Bush Senior that greated the USEC corporation with 300 million of our tax dollars, and gave to them tens of billions in public infrastructure when the gaseous diffussions plants were privatized. The stock that was once held by the US treasury has been spirited into the public domain with the Bush family and their cronies now controlling much of it, and with that control, most of the fuel production for nuclear reactors.

Both our state government here in New York, and the NRC are refusing to take the leaks at Indian Point seriously, and in fact have written up the relicensing criteria in a fashion that the leaks will not even be considered in the relicensing process. We need more than proclaimations. We need our elected officials to call for mass protests, marches in our strrets. The DOe, NRC and George Bush have RIGGED the rrelicensing process, and nothing short of mass public anger and action will stop the wrongful relicensing of these dangerous reactors.

www.greennuclearbutterfly.com