Low water levels apparently resulted from valves that were unexpectedly opened, forcing unit three’s power to be reduced by 50 percent. “On the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, another mishap at Indian Point today is reminder of the dangers of keeping this facility open,” said Lowey, the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I remain highly skeptical that the safety and security measures at Indian Point can protect the people of the Hudson Valley and greater New York City area given continued operations and safety incidents.”
More than 17 million people in parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York live within 50 miles of the Indian Point Energy Center. There have been a series of safety lapses at Indian Point this year, including a tritium leak into monitoring wells beneath the facility and the discovery of faulty baffle bolts in Unit 2.
Lowey introduced a measure to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to evaluate old power plants seeking license renewals with the same stringent criteria used to license new plants today. She has also proposed requiring NRC to award grants for emergency preparedness when the agency collects safety-related fines from nuclear facilities.
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