Spring 2005 - Westchester Updates

WestCAN continues to work in coalition with the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition. The enormous grassroots movement to close the plant in the aftermath of 9/11 has succeeded in activating politicians and initiating studies. Work is now being done in committees, town halls and county legislatures. No politician can now run for office without being asked to take a position on the closure of Indian Point.

The Coalition launched the campaign to defeat the re-licensing of Indian Point with a keynote speech by Bobby Kennedy. Bobby assured the audience that Gov. Pataki could close the plant  tomorrow because thermal pollution caused by cooling water from the plant is a clear violation of the Clean Water Act. He also reported that Elliot Spitzer, NY’s Attorney General who plans to run for governor in ’06 is committed to closing the plant.

The meeting was attended by 250 people and at the end many volunteered to take the no re-licensing resolutions back to their local governments.

The recently released National Academy of Sciences report on the vulnerability of the spent fuel pools verified what we have been saying for years and should prove to be a big boost for our campaign.

Westchester County has commissioned a study to look at Rubber ducks float down the Hudson river during a Riverkeepers-sponsored event on the anniversary of 9/11, and in response to FEMA recertifiying the evacuation (WECRAPUation) plan. The ducks wre accompanied by a sign that read “We are all sitting ducks,” with a  labeled duck for each county, and “FEMA and the NRC are quacks!” replacement costs for Indian Point and the finances involved in replacing the reactors with another type of generation, probably gas. County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz sees the closing of Indian Point as a financial matter and is calling for what is effectively a business plan to allow the region to move in that direction. If the plant is not allowed to relicense it will have an enormous adverse impact on the value of the reactors.

It is now time to relaunch a grassroots movement to deny the relicensing of these plants for another 30 years. This battle is undoubtedly a defining moment in our struggle to close Indian Point. It is a struggle of open government and democratic principals against a corrupt regulatory agency that has abandoned their charge to  protect public health and safety and protects the interests and profits of the industry.