In Wake of Nuclear Crisis in Japan, Attention Turns to Indian Point

After a recent earthquake in Japan caused explosions at two nuclear power plants, some officials stateside are calling for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to evaluate the safety of a local nuclear reactor.

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Nita Lowey called on the commission to evaluate safety and evaluation procedures and possible threats such as natural disasters or terrorism in determining re-licensing for the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan. 

Indian Point, which has two reactors, provides almost a third of the electricity used in Westchester County and New York City. In 2007, it filed a request with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)—the U.S. federal agency that oversees nuclear safety and regulates nuclear reactors—to renew its license for another 20 years. Its current 40-year license for Indian Point reactors 2 and 3 expires in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Last year, then-Attorney General and current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo submitted an objection to the NRC that urged the agency to reject a renewal for Indian Point’s license. Cuomo said potential dangers to human health could occur if something went wrong at the the plant, which is located in a densely populated area.

Lowey echoed the same point on Tuesday. She said it was necessary for the NRC to take a closer look at Indian Point in order to avoid a potential nuclear catastrophe that could affect millions of people.

“In our densely-populated region, families deserve to be assured that the Indian Point nuclear facility could withstand a potential natural disaster or terrorist event,” Lowey said. “The tragedy in Japan only underscores the need for adequate preparation to prevent a catastrophe from occurring, and to respond quickly if one occurs.”

In her letter to NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko, Lowey said earthquakes are not uncommon in New York. She cited a 3.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Long Island in November as an example. The Ramapo Seismic Zone, a fault system that makes the area more susceptible to earthquakes, passes within two miles of Indian Point.

The Dobbs Ferry Fault also lies within this seismic zone. It generated a 4.1 magnitude earthquake in 1985, the largest recent earthquake in New York according to a study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

Lowey said the likely risk of earthquakes in New York require the NRC to take preemptive action to ensure public safety.

“The NRC should study Indian Point’s risk of and ability to sustain a disaster, including the impact of earthquakes and hurricanes, as well as collateral impacts such as loss of power, inability to cool reactors, and emergency evacuation routes,” she said. “The NRC should evaluate how a similar incident in the New York metropolitan area could be further complicated due to a dramatically higher population and the effectiveness of proposed evacuation routes.”  

Check Patch Wednesday for another story on how the situation in Japan may affect Indian Point.