Croton Passes Indian Point Resolutions

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Two resolutions were passed about the safety of  the Indian Point Nuclear Energy facility by the Croton Board of Trustees on June 20. The two resolutions state grievances including that the Indian Point facilities' seismic construction standards fall “far below potential earthquake magnitude,” and that “several options exist that could… replace the need for Indian Point’s electric generation capacity.”

The first resolution lists a series of concerns about Indian Point’s spent fuel rods, including that they are currently contained in a “warehouse-type” building with commercially-available steel roofs, and that they have no backup cooling or electricity system should something go wrong.

Another grievance concerns the two faults lines which lie near Indian Point. According to the resolution, new seismological data suggests that “two fault lines near Indian Point and plant construction standards fall far below potential earthquake magnitude.”

One of the resolutions calls for the emergency evacuation zone surrounding Indian Point to be extended from 10 miles to 50 miles, and that the emergency evacuation plan, which was deemed insufficient by former FEMA director and evacuation expert James Lee Witt, according to the resolution, be remedied. The second resolution calls for Governor Cuomo to initiate an independent study into how energy produced by Indian Point would be replaced if for any reason it was no longer in operation. Both resolutions call to be sent directly to Cuomo.

Julie Woodward, a Croton resident and member of the Croton Close Indian Point group, has said that despite that “any pressure counts,” referring to pressure on closing Indian Point, “in my opinion… we want it closed, we want to close Indian Point. We know that 10 miles doesn’t work, 20 miles doesn’t work, 30 miles doesn’t work. We want it closed.” Croton Close Indian Point is also a member of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition, a group of organizations that are not necessarily opposed to nuclear energy, but to Indian Point Nuclear Energy Facility in particular.

Indian Point officials, following the recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, maintained that the plants are safe and that circumstances surrounding the Fukushima disaster were unique to that plant and highly unlikely to happen at Indian Point.

The second resolution recommends supporting the following alternative means for replacing the power produced by Indian Point: the Champlain Hudson Power Express high voltage transmission line, the Corss Hudson Line high voltage transmission line in development, the installation of 300 to 600 gas-fired combined-cycle plant at the former Lovett Power Station in Tomkins Cove in the Town of Stony Point, simplifying utility conservation incentives, and support for public policies to speed-up private development of alternative energy sources.

The Daily Croton has included the agenda versions of the propositions which were passed, to become resolutions. The resolutions with motions and seconds will be online when approved by the Village of Croton-on-Hudson.

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