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State Sen. Pete Harckham announced on Thursday, June 6 that his bill to help protect Indian Point workers was passed by the state Senate.
But a spokesman for the Buchanan plants' owner, Entergy, said the legislation might delay the decommissioning process.
Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said, “It is not clear to us that this legislation is necessary, and further there is a concern that the proposed law could delay the completion of decommissioning at Indian Point."
Indian Point Unit 2 is scheduled to shut down by 2020 and Unit 3 by 2021. "There is no chance of any delay regarding that timeline. That is a separate issue," Nappi said.
According to Nappi, Holtec International, the New Jersey-based company that plans to buy the site, has already agreed to hire many Entergy employees at Indian Point to perform decommissioning, and has committed to honoring existing collective bargaining agreements.
"Indian Point employees are well-compensated, with typical salaries greater than $100,000 annually," Nappi said.
Senate Bill 5305B will help assure continued union jobs during the closure and decommissioning of the nuclear power plant in Buchanan, according to Harckham, who represents the 40th Senate District. The legislation also will ensure that current union employees are retained and paid no less than prevailing wage.
Earlier coverage of the proposed bill and other legislation to protect local property taxes can be found at Daily Voice Plus, by clicking here.
Harckham said, “Protecting the workers at Indian Point and the economic well-being of the surrounding communities has been a top priority since I took office. My bill passed by the Senate today will help keep families in place by preventing a decommissioning company from coming in and displacing our well-trained workforce, replacing them with unskilled, non-union, low-wage out-of-towners. We’ll continue to do everything in our power to assist the people and communities impacted by the impending Indian Point closure."
Tom Carey, president of the Westchester/Putnam County Central Labor Body AFL/CIO, said, “Senator Harckham hit the ground running today with the passage of this bill. Worker protections and local jobs are critical for our area labor force.
The closure of Indian Point is two years away, which will come in the blink of an eye, especially for young families currently working at the plant who are facing uncertainty. Our business partners should also welcome this legislation, knowing that prevailing wage protections mean good jobs and good wages for the men and women who have been shopping locally and supporting Indian Point area businesses."
Assemblymember Sandy Galef, 95th Assembly District, has introduced a companion bill, Assembly Bill 7569A.
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