Indian Point Nuclear Plant
50 Mile Zone of 'Peak Injury'
U.S. Government evacuation zone per Fukushima
Evacuation of 20 Million People is Impossible
Indian Point Nuclear Plant
The Facts
The 40 year-old Indian Point Nuclear Plant is a grave risk to the health and safety of 20 million people that live and work within 50 miles. Here is why:
Earthquake Risk
In March 2011, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rated Indian Point as the most risky plant in the United States for potential release of radiation in an earthquake. According to prominent seismologists with Columbia University's Earth Science Observatory, the plant is built upon the intersection of two seismic faults that could produce a magnitude 7 earthquake. This is 10-times more powerful than Indian Point was designed to withstand, and would likely cause uncontrolled radiological releases. Even lesser quakes are estimated to have a high possibility of radiation release due to the hard rock geology of the plant's site.
Lack of Firefighting Equipment
About half the accidents that threaten reactor cores begin with fires. Even a small fire could trigger a chain of events that threatens a meltdown, and some have come close. An astounding May 22, 2011 news story reports that "Huge areas of the accident-prone Indian Point nuke plant lack essential firefighting equipment like sprinklers and fire extinguishers. The aging plant 24 miles from the city is missing basic smoke-eating tools, even as it sits on an earthquake fault and has suffered two fires since 2007."
Spent Fuel Pools
Indian Point has accumulated over 1,500 tons of spent radioactive fuel onsite. Spent fuel is stored in dangerous overcrowded cooling pools housed in flimsy warehouse buildings, making them a terrorist dream target. Leaks have been reported, with one cooling pool leaking radioactive water for 16 years. With no backup power for cooling, an extended loss of grid power from a hurricane or regional blackout would cause the water in these pools to evaporate at 100 gallons per minute, with fire and radioactive plumes soon to follow. These are the same cooling pools responsible for the plumes of radiation released at Fukushima due to water boil-off, with one important difference: Indian Point stores 300% more spent fuel than Fukushima.
Radiation Leaks and Contamination
Indian Point has a long, sad legacy of major radiation releases into the air and water. With its 40-year old infrastructure, the plant is now more prone to failures and accidents than ever before. Radiation has been detected in Hudson River fish and water. Groundwater under and surrounding the plant is radioactive.
High Pressure Natural Gas Lines
Two interstate natural gas lines, each a half-century old, run about 200 yards from a reactor containment building. They are part of a system that transports 2.4 billion cubic feet of gas at high pressure every day. A rupture in one of those lines could create “an 800-foot blowtorch”, rendering the control room uninhabitable and making it impossible to shut down the reactor.
Evacuation is Impossible
20 Million people live and work within the 50 mile zone of Indian Point, an area which includes New York City. In a large scale radiation release from Indian Point, timely evacuation is impossible resulting in thousands of deaths. Prevailing winds would likely carry radioactive plumes to NYC or Connecticut. Millions would become permanent refugees unable to return home while losing everything - homeowners insurance does not cover radiation contamination. New York City's most important water supply reservoir is just 15 miles from the plant and would become radioactive. The shut down of New York City would devastate the economy of the United States.
Huge Risks for Small Rewards
Indian Point exposes 20 million people to catastrophic risk while only supplying a paltry 5% of New York City & Westchester County's energy use, public records show. (The plant's owner Entergy misleadingly claims 30%.) Moreover, the surrounding counties of Putnam, Rockland. Orange and Dutchess receive no power at all from the plant, only unacceptable risk.
Twenty More Years?
Entergy, Indian Point's owner, has applied for renewal of the plant's operating license for an additional 20 years. The NRC stands ready to grant approval - they have never denied a license renewal. Recent reporting makes the motivations clear. The NRC has been "captured" by the industry it was created to regulate, with its employees regularly moving on to lucrative nuclear industry jobs. Afraid to anger potential future employers, they have allowed the sacrifice of public safety for industry interests. Incredibly, the NRC has granted Indian Point hundreds of exemptions to safety regulations, even exempting the plant from having to install electrical wiring that will withstand fire for an extended period so operators can remain in control of Indian Point's reactors.
We can make a difference!
Years of unsuccessful attempts to close Indian Point have lead some to wrongly conclude that it cannot be done. Times have changed! No longer do warnings about the dangers of Indian Point fall on deaf ears. Fukushima was a game changer, a lesson of the truly catastrophic risk that Indian Point represents.
Successful citizen action is sweeping the globe, forcing closure and abandonment of plans for nuclear plants in country after country. Now it is our turn.
Popular political pressure can force Indian Point to close, but only if YOU step forward to be counted. Help us stop Indian Point from playing Nuclear Roulette with the lives of 20 million people!
Please join us at Nuclear Safety Now!
Earthquake Risk
In March 2011, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rated Indian Point as the most risky plant in the United States for potential release of radiation in an earthquake. According to prominent seismologists with Columbia University's Earth Science Observatory, the plant is built upon the intersection of two seismic faults that could produce a magnitude 7 earthquake. This is 10-times more powerful than Indian Point was designed to withstand, and would likely cause uncontrolled radiological releases. Even lesser quakes are estimated to have a high possibility of radiation release due to the hard rock geology of the plant's site.
Lack of Firefighting Equipment
About half the accidents that threaten reactor cores begin with fires. Even a small fire could trigger a chain of events that threatens a meltdown, and some have come close. An astounding May 22, 2011 news story reports that "Huge areas of the accident-prone Indian Point nuke plant lack essential firefighting equipment like sprinklers and fire extinguishers. The aging plant 24 miles from the city is missing basic smoke-eating tools, even as it sits on an earthquake fault and has suffered two fires since 2007."
Spent Fuel Pools
Indian Point has accumulated over 1,500 tons of spent radioactive fuel onsite. Spent fuel is stored in dangerous overcrowded cooling pools housed in flimsy warehouse buildings, making them a terrorist dream target. Leaks have been reported, with one cooling pool leaking radioactive water for 16 years. With no backup power for cooling, an extended loss of grid power from a hurricane or regional blackout would cause the water in these pools to evaporate at 100 gallons per minute, with fire and radioactive plumes soon to follow. These are the same cooling pools responsible for the plumes of radiation released at Fukushima due to water boil-off, with one important difference: Indian Point stores 300% more spent fuel than Fukushima.
Radiation Leaks and Contamination
Indian Point has a long, sad legacy of major radiation releases into the air and water. With its 40-year old infrastructure, the plant is now more prone to failures and accidents than ever before. Radiation has been detected in Hudson River fish and water. Groundwater under and surrounding the plant is radioactive.
High Pressure Natural Gas Lines
Two interstate natural gas lines, each a half-century old, run about 200 yards from a reactor containment building. They are part of a system that transports 2.4 billion cubic feet of gas at high pressure every day. A rupture in one of those lines could create “an 800-foot blowtorch”, rendering the control room uninhabitable and making it impossible to shut down the reactor.
Evacuation is Impossible
20 Million people live and work within the 50 mile zone of Indian Point, an area which includes New York City. In a large scale radiation release from Indian Point, timely evacuation is impossible resulting in thousands of deaths. Prevailing winds would likely carry radioactive plumes to NYC or Connecticut. Millions would become permanent refugees unable to return home while losing everything - homeowners insurance does not cover radiation contamination. New York City's most important water supply reservoir is just 15 miles from the plant and would become radioactive. The shut down of New York City would devastate the economy of the United States.
Huge Risks for Small Rewards
Indian Point exposes 20 million people to catastrophic risk while only supplying a paltry 5% of New York City & Westchester County's energy use, public records show. (The plant's owner Entergy misleadingly claims 30%.) Moreover, the surrounding counties of Putnam, Rockland. Orange and Dutchess receive no power at all from the plant, only unacceptable risk.
Twenty More Years?
Entergy, Indian Point's owner, has applied for renewal of the plant's operating license for an additional 20 years. The NRC stands ready to grant approval - they have never denied a license renewal. Recent reporting makes the motivations clear. The NRC has been "captured" by the industry it was created to regulate, with its employees regularly moving on to lucrative nuclear industry jobs. Afraid to anger potential future employers, they have allowed the sacrifice of public safety for industry interests. Incredibly, the NRC has granted Indian Point hundreds of exemptions to safety regulations, even exempting the plant from having to install electrical wiring that will withstand fire for an extended period so operators can remain in control of Indian Point's reactors.
We can make a difference!
Years of unsuccessful attempts to close Indian Point have lead some to wrongly conclude that it cannot be done. Times have changed! No longer do warnings about the dangers of Indian Point fall on deaf ears. Fukushima was a game changer, a lesson of the truly catastrophic risk that Indian Point represents.
Successful citizen action is sweeping the globe, forcing closure and abandonment of plans for nuclear plants in country after country. Now it is our turn.
Popular political pressure can force Indian Point to close, but only if YOU step forward to be counted. Help us stop Indian Point from playing Nuclear Roulette with the lives of 20 million people!
Please join us at Nuclear Safety Now!