WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

Hits: 0

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. September 10, 2004: Greenburgh will sponsor our first annual 5k run on Saturday, September 11^th beginning at the 9-11 Memorial Wall at Webb Field, Central Ave. Finish line: Secor Woods Park, Hartsdale (transportation back to the 9-11 memorial will be provided).  Pre registration: $10 check. $15 on the day of the event…for further information please call 693-8985  X 153.  Funds raised will go to the Ardsley Secor Volunteer Ambulance Corp which needs a new building.

Hits: 0

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F.Bailey. September 9, 2004: Three years ago after the Twin Towers mass murder, there was a great deal of controversy over closing Indian Point, and that it was a terrorist target for a similar jumbo jet attack. It was an election issue. At that time, WPCNR spoke with a nuclear engineer who discussed the threat. In view of recent articles in The Journal News promoting the HBO Special on Indian Point and Chernobyl airing this week, WPCNR reprints that interview:

A recent news report speculated about Indian Point melting down if its dome or domes were hit by a jumbo jet. WPCNR wanted to know Sunday, if this was a strong possibility. One man who has supervised construction of modern nuclear facilities says it is not.

Chernobyl and Indian Point cannot be compared.

A veteran consultant and professional builder of nuclear plants to current NRC standards, most recently in North Carolina, spoke to WPCNR Sunday evening. He was flabbergasted by the premise of the article. The WPCNR nuclear expert whom we will call “Bill,” said comparing the Chernobyl meltdown to Indian Point was not a fair comparison.

First, Bill said the Chernobyl meltdown disaster occurred when the controllers “lost control of the chain reaction, and literally ran out of the plant.” He said there were no remote back-up systems in place at the Chernobyl plant to shut off the reaction.

There are back-up systems at Indian Point and all United States plants. He attributed the Chernobyl accident to human error without a recourse, which caused the destructive meltdown and massive radiation cloud.

U.S. Plant Backup Systems Stop the Reactor.

“You simply cannot compare a Russian-built nuclear plant with a United States plant,” He said. “As a result of the Three Mile Island incident alone, in the 1980s, American nuclear plants were directed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to install ‘redundant instrumentation,’ in distinctly separate areas of the complex which consists of auxiliary control panels of all systems.”

This is designed, he says, to prevent exactly what happened at Chernobyl. If Indian Point were to be hit by a plane, even two planes, the redundant system can shut down the reactor immediately. Yet, even in that case, release of radiation is highly unlikely.

Could a Plane Hit Cause a Meltdown?

WPCNR asked Bill if a plane penetrated a dome, whether this could cause radioactive steam to escape. Bill said that even after a dome hit, any resulting explosion would need to penetrate the reactor to release any radiation.

The reactor in the typical Westinghouse Plant (such as Indian Point 2 and 3) is encased in an additional 18 inches of stainless stee, Bill says. This steel would have to be penetrated by the plane wreckage and fire, to release any radiation. Bill feels this is extremely unlikely.

“You have to realize that the reactor casing is built to withstand rigid forces generated by major earthquakes by law. Should a plane penetrate the dome, it is unlikely it will generate enough impact or explosive force to penetrate the reactor. A plane is not an earthquake. What caused the WTC towers to collapse was driving a plane into a spider web of construction not a reinforced dome.”

(WPCNR advises readers the fire from the jet fuel released in the crashes could not be extinguished, causing the interior steel supports of the towers to melt after approximately one hour of uncontrolled burning and heat)

Bill indicated that U.S. nuclear plants have fire-extinguishing procedures to handle such a scenario.

Could a jumbo jet penetrate the dome?

Bill said the domes (of typical Westinghouse plants) are constructed of approximately 2 to 3 feet of concrete and are lined on the interior with 1” steel plate.

“The domes are designed to withstand a 2,700 pound projectile (the size of a Volkswagon), comparable to artillery shells that penetrate bunkers. The domes are calculated to withstand the impact of a 747. They have crashed smaller planes into them in tests and they have held.”

How about the radioactive fuel dumps?

We asked if a jet fuel fire might release radiation by penetrating the fuel and igniting it. (This scenario envisioned by the recent media article was depicted by a nuclear consultant in that article)

Bill said, “the radioactive spent fuel is in a protected building itself. It is housed in a concrete-and-steel-lined protected building and under several feet of water. The spent fuel is quite separate from the domes housing the four steam generators and one reactor (typical of Westinghouse plants, Bill reports). Should the plane penetrate the spent fuel storage dump, and jet fuel ignites, the jet fuel sits on top of the water. It cannot reach the spent radioactive fuel.”

He said the scenarios of fires of many kinds are covered in the Final Safety Analysis Report, which has to be signed off by the Nuclear Regulation Commission, and the plant operator before the plant is put online. They cannot go online without it, Bill says.

As to fuel fires, “You can put out fuel fires with foam, and water in these instances. The water uses up the oxygen. I’ve done it.”

Expert chides uninformed media article

Asked about the hypothesis generated by the article, Bill’s reaction was “The article comes within 3 degrees of yellow journalism. This person has done major damage with this. Why didn’t he call the utility?”

It should be noted that WPCNR has been unable to confirm Bill’s generalized comments about Westinghouse manufactured plants, and Bill believes Indian Point 2 and 3 are Westinghouse plants.

However, Bill has been responsible for the construction and commissioning of nuclear plants and should know his stuff. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission construction specifications are required in all American nuclear plants.

Hits: 0

WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley, 89th District. September 9, 2004: Today is the first day of school in White Plains when 6,972 public school students return to White Plains five elementary schools, two Middle Schools and High School. Assemblyman Bradley sent these observations about the State role in education:
There is nothing more important to Westchester’s future than educating young minds. I’ve worked in the Assembly to help children receive a quality education and to ensure that their parents can be actively involved in their education, I’ve fought to help students obtain a quality college education. I have consistently pushed for a strong investment in education without overburdening taxpayers, one that gives our children every advantage.

Since I took office, I worked hard to secure over $74 million to schools in the 89th Assembly District. The funding helps provide our schools with the tools they need to give our children a top-notch education. In order to keep our students active and safe after the final bell rings, I worked to secure $115,000 in funding so White Plains schools and community-based organizations can continue the Extended Day/School Violence Protection Program.

We as parents play one of the most crucial roles in keeping our children on the right track at school. To help parents stay involved in their child’s education, I sponsored the Parent-Teacher Communications Act, which would allow all parents or guardians to communicate with children’s teachers through an Internet program (A.6913). The program would help parents virtually meet with their child’s teacher in the comfort of their own homes. The meetings will help
parents better focus their energy to the areas of study that their children need the most help.

A strong investment in our children’s education should not be solely shouldered by property-taxpayers. That is why I fought against the governor’s repeated attempts to cut our school aid, which would have forced massive property tax increases. I rejected his plan to sacrifice the STAR program in order to pay for court ordered increases to school funding. I have not only fought to protect the STAR program, but also to expand eligibility so more property-taxpayers can benefit from the savings.


To stave off the governor’s cuts to higher education,
I also fought to restore funding to the Tuition
Assistance Program (TAP). TAP funding helps keep a
college education affordable for many Westchester
students. The Commission on Independent Colleges and
Universities (CICU) has praised the Legislature for
restoring the governor’s cuts to TAP along with those
to Higher Education Opportunity Programs and Direct
Institutional Aid. It is unfortunate that the governor
vetoed $8.75 million for necessary improvements at
SUNY Purchase’s Campus Central Plaza. The college is a
vital part of our economy and I’m going to continue my
efforts to invest in our higher education system.

    From kindergarten through college, we must ensure our
children achieve academic excellence. We must keep the
dream of a college education within reach of all
families. We must also be mindful of not overburdening
taxpayers, as we provide all students with an
opportunity to receive a top-notch education, these
will be tools to help build a stronger economy and a
stronger Westchester.

Hits: 0

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. September 8, 2004: The Common Council voted last night an ordinance permitting assisted living senior care facilities in the downtown, and specifically the neighborhood near White Plains Hospital Medical Center, the first step towards the building of the Sunrise care facility approved for that location.

 

The Council also voted unanimously to permit the city budget and financial departments to delay until December submission of city financial reports.

 

 

The Council also expressed its interest in finding a mechanism to reserve a portion of the Sunrise facility for persons who otherwise could not afford the $3,000 and up monthly care rates. Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, said she would work with Sunrise and the Council to explore a means of making units available in Sunrise for the disadvantaged elderly in need of assisted living care. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News 

Susan Habel explained the ordinance permitting assisted living facilities to be built in the downtown area. The Commissioner of Planning took pains to point out this was not approval of nursing homes, but homes where persons could take care of themselves, but simply could not live on their own. Habel also said that because different residents require different services it would be difficult to apply the city’s 6% affordable housing rule.

 

 

Rose Noonan, of the Westchester Housing Resources, spoke eloquently of the need for applying the city’s 6% set-aside affordable housing requirement to assisted living facilities. She pointed out that only 33% of the population in Westchester who needed such facilities could afford the typical $3,000 per month cost of living in an assisted living complex. She also noted that Sunrise in applying for such a facilitiy in Elmsford had said they could make arrangements to allow their facility to be accessible to persons who otherwise could not afford to live there. Photo Capture From WPGA-TV, Channel 76 by WPCNR News.

 

Councilperson Rita Malmud called for a work session to explore what mechanism could be created to make a portion of the Sunrise facility available to the less fortunate elderly.

 

 

Councilman Arnold Bernstein suggested the city might use some of its funds set aside for affordable housing assistance to purchase insurance policies for individuals so they might afford long term assisted care, if the legal department felt it was appropriate. Bernstein noted, though that if the city aided someone to afford a unit in the Sunrise facilitiy, he wondered out loud whether the city would be obligated to aid that person on their last stop…that of a subsequent nursing home or end-of-life care facility. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News

 

 

Councilman Larry Delgado supported the concept of exploring an aid package or structure where less fortunate persons could be given access to the Sunrise facility, as long as, he said, the costs were not passed on to residents paying full rates. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV by WPCNR News.

 

Councilman Roach and Councilman Robert Greer also expressed interest in discussing how a portion of Sunrise could be made accessible to the city’s indigent senior citizens in need of assisted living care.

 

Susan Habel said she would work with the council and Sunrise to explore solutions to this initiative to find “affordable” assisted living at Sunrise.

 

Financial Reporting Moved Back.

 

At the outset of the council meeting the council held a public hearing on a new local law that gives the finance and budget departments an extra 30 days to prepare financial statements for regulatory agencies and rating services. Now as a result of passing this new local law, full financial reports are not required to be presented to the Common Council until the first meeting in December.

 

Commissioner of Finance, Gina Cuneo Harwood, made the case for the extra 30 days by saying the city simply needed more time to comply with the additional reporting required by the state, and enable the city to contend for a state accounting practices award.

 

 

Dan Seidel, the only person from the public to comment on the financial reporting law, said that by moving the reporting date from October 31 to December, the council would be “disenfranchising” the voter, by delaying key financial position reports to the public until after elections in perpetuity. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.

 

Mayor Joseph Delfino, back from vacation, scoffed at this notion, saying he did not recall the city ever not being on “sound” financial footing. The Mayor has a short memory, considering that bond ratings of the city were in danger of being lowered just six months ago.

 

Councilmembers were quick to point out that these were formal reports based on auditor-generated information that were required by the various agencies that rate, monitor, and oversee the city, that the law in no way would prevent citizens and the public from knowing the financial state of the city before elections.

 

Councilperson Robert Greer in a hurt tone, said, “There’s no lack of financial data that’s being put out there and available to the public throughout the course of the year.”

 

Mr. Greer is apparently unaware that there has not been a report made public by the Mayor’s Office on the ongoing state of the city’s shaky finances since last May.

 

And the Mayor’s Office refuses to do so when asked for it.

 

The CitizeNetReporter on being told by a person intimately familiar with city sales tax figures that the city made its projected sales tax revenue in real dollars at the end of the June, asked the Mayor’s office for a confirmation of that, and our phone call was never responded to. Why would the city not confirm good news?

 

In August of 2003, sales tax figures were made available in a council work session, however the city numbers since the middle of May, have not been issued by the city either in press release or news conference form.

 

“Nothing Hidden from the Public.”

 

Councilperson Rita Malmud  downplayed the extension of the report preparation period, dismissing the reports as “simply a form of results documents” that it had nothing to do with the budget. “It’s not as though anything is going to be hidden from the public (before the election).”

 

Ms. Malmud apparently misremembers that the council itself was kept unaware of the bond rating problem raised by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s dim view of city financial management last spring that resulted in the city orchestrating a take over of Parking Authority assets within 60 days to patch up the fund balance deficit.

 

Simply put, the city has no mechanism and  does not report financial results regularly to the public in a formal, open way on a regular basis. They have no mechanism to do so, and for the last 5 months at least have not divulged any financial intelligence.

 

New York Presbyterian Hospital Site Plan Renewal Referred

 

The Council referred the Presbyterian Hospital request for an extension of its proton accelerator/bioresearch building project to Commissioners and Boards for comment.

 

 

Allan Teck, President of Concerned Citizens for Open Space strode to the podium, and suggested that the site plan should not be renewed for a number of reasons, which he conjectured were that the hospital did not have the money to build it, that he did not believe the hospital had spent several million dollars on the property, and that the proton accelerator was obsolete technology. He also said he could not see the hospital building a nonprofit facility when they wanted the city to approve zoning for “profit” facilities at the North end of the hospital property. Photo Capture of WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News

 

The Mayor assued Mr. Teck, this was just a referral and the public would have plenty of time to comment when commissioners and boards had sent back their reports.

 

 

A  radiant Elisabeth Wallace was nominated and approved for another six years as Personnel Officer until September 15, 2010. Photo Capture of WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.

 

 

Carl Bannister, Maintenance Mechanic at the White Plains Public Library for 30 years was named Employee of the Month. The Mayor noted Mr. Bannister’s pride and meticulous care of the library, remembering that Carl is the only employee left who worked in the former White Plains Library. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.

 

 

The Mayor bid a tearful farewell to Reverend  William Hurst of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church who delivered the evening’s Invocation. The Mayor saluted Reverend Hurst for growing Trinity Lutheran the last nine years, and recognized him for his role in organizing the White Plains 9/11 Memorial to the persons murdered in the Twin Towers Attacks  three years ago. Reverend Hurst is leaving to take a new “Call” in Southern California. Photo Capture from WPGA-TV, Channel 75 by WPCNR News.