WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. From Kyle Rabin, Riverkeeper Press Office. December 24, 2003: Riverkeeper, the Hudson River environmental advocacy organization, has released a statement noting that Entergy, operators of Indian Point, the regional nuclear power plant, sent out a press release claiming no loss of power during the August 14 blackout of 2003, when actually the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today declared they did lose power. The following is a comparison of the two statements by the Riverkeeper organization:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s December 22, 2003 report – which examines numerous unplanned outages at Indian Point – reveals that during the August 14th blackout key back-up systems were not in operation. The NRC found that Entergy had not corrected a known problem with the plant’s back-up diesel generators and as a result the diesel generators failed during the blackout. Without out this important back up power, emergency response equipment had to be shutdown so that it would not be damaged due to overheating. This seriously complicated the emergency response to the blackout and placed the public and plant workers at risk.
Also troubling, Entergy Nuclear’s August 14, 2003 press release states that “the plant’s back-up diesel generators automatically turned on to provide sufficient electrical power onsite.” (SEE PRESS RELEASE BELOW)
Given, Entergy’s delay in repairing key safety equipment and the company’s release of false information on the day of the blackout, the NRC must order the immediate shutdown of Indian Point.
Instead, the NRC has chosen to play down the significance of their agency’s own findings.
We continue to urge our Congressional delegation to continue to press the NRC to withdraw Entergy’s license to operate Indian Point. (And in the mean time: to take steps to ensure that the NRC becomes a more effective regulator. We can’t have the fox guarding the hen house, anymore.)
The NRC’s timing of the release of this report is unconscionable.
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http://www.entergy-nuclear.com/Nuclear/newsroom/newsDetail.asp?ID=493&RC=Nuclear&List=Region
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Entergy’s 3 Nuclear Power Plants in New York Safely Shut Down Due to Region-wide Power Outage | |||||||||
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White Plains, N.Y.— Entergy’s three nuclear power plants in New York, the Indian Point 2 and 3 plants in Buchanan, and the James A. FitzPatrick plant in Scriba, shut down automatically today as a result of an off-site power outage. The plants’ back-up diesel generators automatically turned on to provide sufficient electrical power onsite. The plants shut down as designed. Entergy officials declared an “Unusual Event” at both sites because the loss of offsite electrical power was caused by a region-wide power outage. An ”Unusual Event” is the lowest of four emergency classifications for U.S. nuclear power plants, as outlined by the NRC. There has been no release of radiation to the environment as a result of the shutdowns. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), New York state, county and local officials have been notified. |
