A Petition to Intervene in IP application

A Petition to Intervene Opposing 20 Additional Years License of Indian Point was filed Dec. 10, 2007 on behalf of: Westchester Citizen’s Awareness Network; Rockland County Conservation Association; Public Health and Sustainable Energy; Sierra Club- Atlantic Chapter; and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky

Dear Friends,

This petition, just filed, is 386 pages long and has over 50 separate contentions. Dozens of these detail serious safety problems, such as inadequate fire protection for critical systems. Quite a few of the problems were discovered through the exhaustive investigation of our amazingly dedicated nuclear engineering expert, Ulrich Witte, and have never been fully laid out before.

In my personal opinion, the heart of the issue is set forth in the conclusion. Do read this if you have a minute (I’ve copied the crux of it below).

There is something so very wrong, when it is left up to citizens and non-profits to try to regulate big polluter industries. In this case, it was literally a handful of people, almost all volunteers, and working with virtually no resources, who researched and drafted and put into form this federal filing. (And, I should add, working with computer systems very much NOT up to the task…so the end product is, shall we say, a wee bit less polished than we would have liked.)

But we did it. The petition is filed. The contentions – along with serious contentions raised in separate petitions filed by Riverkeeper and the Attorney General of New York, Andrew Cuomo – are now a matter of public record. The spotlight is now on the NRC.

Special thanks go to Susan Shapiro, who shouldered the bulk of the burden and whose selfless and unfaltering resolve propelled the project. Enormous gratitude is also owed to our nuclear expert Ulrich Witte. And blessings upon Marilyn Elie, Maureen Ritter and Judy Allen, who came in like the cavalry to help with review and putting the whole deal together.

And, of course, so much more is owed to all the folks in the petitioner groups and in IPSEC (way too many to list) who have dedicated their time and personal resources trying to protect our families and communities from the very real threat posed by this aging, corroding, leaking nuclear power plant.

Michel

/P.S.// /The Petition will be available on the NRC website shortly/. /We’re also burning copies of the entire filing on CDs, which will be available for $15 to cover costs to any individual who wants to have them.

Michel Lee, Esq.

Steering Committee
Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition
(914) 420-5624

ciecplee@verizon.net