Nuclear Plant Crisis In Japan Reminds NYC Of Indian Point

Now that an earthquake in Japan has caused a "situation" at a nuclear power plant that may take weeks to resolve, some in New York City are remembering that we live closer to a nuclear power plant than any other city in the country. There have been repeated attempts to force the Indian Point nuclear power plant to close in the past (former mayor Rudy Giulian declared it safe, then-Senator Hillary Clinton had her doubts), and now Governor Cuomo is seizing the opportunity to try and close it. It's old news that the plant is at the intersection of two fault lines, but the unfolding catastrophe in Japan may give Cuomo the momentum he needs.

"Frankly, that was surprising to me," Cuomo told reporters yesterday, referring to the plant's proximity to the fault. "It should be closed. This plant in this proximity to the city was never a good risk." Substantial earthquakes are very infrequent, but all it takes is one good one to turn NYC into Escape from LA. NBC reports that the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has calculated the risk of catastrophic earthquakes causing failures at U.S. nuclear plants, and Indian Point ranks highest, with one in 10,000 odds.

Indian Point is 35 miles from NYC, and supplies an estimated 30 percent of the city's energy. Over the years, there have been problems at the plant, including an explosion last year, radioactive material leaking from a nuclear-waste storage pool in 2005; and a steam generator tube rupture in 2000, which flooded the Hudson with radioactive water. Ironically, those who live closest to the plant seem the least concerned; at least that's the impression you get from 70-year-old Charles Lynch, who tells the Times, "I’ve been here too long to worry about whether it’s safe. You have to trust that it is. The only people who complain about it are the people who move here from New York City." Damn city-slickers and their apocalyptic paranoia!

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By John Del Signore in News on March 17, 2011 5:30 PM

Comments [rss]

GothamExtremist

If Indian point melts down and we have to evac, the whole NYC will have to relocate to Philly. It's time to invest in real estate there and to invest in Chinese bus tour companies. $$$$$!

thriftytechie

The Indian Point talk is idle chatter at it's worst. If a tsunami or earthquake hits nyc, we won't be crying about the radiation because we'll be too busy jumping out of windows and dodging falling skyscrapers and being buried in the subways. Meanwhile, the Japanese press will report about radiation leakage from Indian Point that has extended past a 1 mile radius around Indian Point just to get back at us.

Can we go back to talking about Kim Kardashian, now?

angry_pickle

A real danger would likely be instigated by men not by nature.

Len_Drexler

Last weekend the Times had a piece on liberal NIMBYism with respect to environmentally friendly projects:

There are environmentalists blocking proposed solar thermal plants in California. Nobody wants windmills anywhere near their homes. Environmentalists are usually against hydroelectric power, coal, fracking for natural gas. Sooner or later we're all going to be sitting around in the dark.

Remy Chevalier

We don't need oil, coal or nuclear. We need disclosure!

cmdrogogov

Actually we do need nuclear... but what we also need is fewer NIMBY's and a government that isn't so spineless as to refuse to use eminent domain for the good of everyone.

Personally, I think windfarms look great vOv

longacre

The Japan reactors were not damaged by the quake, their backup systems were knocked out by the tsunami. Indian Point is not going to get hit by a tsunami.

thriftytechie

and let's put it this way, if an earthquake or tsunami hits Indian Point, it won't be the radiation that kills us...

Remy Chevalier

The reactors may not have been damaged by the quake... we don't know. But the result is the same. Although Indian Point may not get hit by a tsunami, the plant can suffer a lot of other problems which could lead to a similar situation.

Spirit of 76

Generally, if something is in trouble because backup systems fail to kick in, it means the primary systems are already down.

longacre

The reactors shut themselves off as they were designed to and cooling systems were operating normally for about an hour after the earthquake, until the tsunami knocked out the primary and the backup cooling systems.

Remy Chevalier

The beauty of nuclear reactors is that there is really no OFF switch!

thriftytechie

Uhh, yeah there is. And they are automatically triggered. ‎2 out of 3 of the Nuclear plants closest to one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded (Fukushima Daini and Onagawa) shut off fine and they aren't in the news because the press aren't hysterical enough to report about them. Even at F. Daichii (wtih the explosions and everything) , the fission has completely stopped. Residual heat and radioactive decay is what they are dealing with now.

angry_pickle

They aren't reporting them because they have the ability to maintain cooling. If you think people are going hysterical, why don't you go and volunteer to hose down the reactors that have already shutdown? Since they are shutdown, they should be safe, no?

cmdrogogov

additionally F. Daichii was due to be decomissioned last month - whilst hindsight is a great thing, I dont think anyone can blame the problems at the plant on poor design.

What we can blame the problem on is weaselly corporate conduct and bent political practices.

Spirit of 76

The beauty of nuclear waste is that there really is no OFF switch. Fission or no fission, they're in trouble until and unless they get those pumps online.

Phillip Roncoroni

How does Cuomo plan on replacing 30% of NYC's energy needs?

Remy Chevalier

Percent of energy from Indian Point sells to the Hudson Valley/New York City area is 3%... they sell the rest out of state. This information comes from the New York Independent System Operator who is the switchboard for the electrical grid.