A nuclear power plant located 27 miles from the epicenter of today's earthquake in Mineral, Virginia has been shut down. Reuters reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission pulled the plug after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake, but another nuclear plant in Surry, Virginia, 103 miles from Mineral, remains operational. Indian Point, the nuclear power plant located 35 miles from New York City, "is operating normally" following today's earthquake, Entergy spokesman Jim Steets tells us.
"There hasn't been any impact at all," Steets says, "No damage has been done on site. Minor shaking was felt in some areas…we're double checking all the equipment to ensure there was no damage." Given the ongoing nuclear disaster at the Fukishima nuclear plant in Japan following the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred in March, it's natural to be concerned that Indian Point, which lies on two fault lines, is as safe as it should be.
A spokeswoman for Riverkeeper, a NY clean water advocacy group, Tina Posterli, tells us, "Today's 5.9 earthquake outside of Virginia brings home the urgency of why Indian Point's license should not be renewed." Despite the plant's civil engineer declaring, "We're designed for the worst-case scenario...even at 8.9, I wouldn't expect too much damage," Posterli points out that "Entergy's upcoming licensing hearing in February doesn't even address an earthquake or seismic risk."
Citing explosions at the plant, it's extremely disconcerting emergency evacuation plan, and its proximity to the city, Governor Cuomo has been pushing to shut the plant down. Which is ridiculous: we've got at LEAST another 670 years until we need to be worried.
