Democrats shoot themselves in the head on Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant!
We at Left-Atomics only hope that this idiocy ends at some point, before it's too late. Well, at any rate, more applications for new nuclear plants are being filed with the NRC, and thats a good thing...even if it's not enough to really effect pollution, particulate, CO2, etc. We need a real plan for hundreds of new NPPs. More, along with my promised diary on nuclear 'waste' later...
From The Office of Attorney General:
"NEW YORK, NY (December 3, 2007) – Governor Eliot Spitzer, New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, and Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano today announced the submission of papers to deny the relicensing of the Indian Point nuclear power plant. The papers filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) identify dangerous deficiencies – including those related to terrorism, earthquakes, evacuation plans, and the surrounding population density – in Entergy’s relicensing application for Indian Point.
"The Indian Point relicensing application wholly fails to address a number of crucial issues, and it should not be granted in its present form," said Governor Spitzer. "I have repeatedly stated that we should close Indian Point as soon as there is sufficient replacement power available, and in the interim we will continue to insist that all environmental, safety and security issues are fully evaluated and addressed, in order to protect the health and safety of the communities surrounding the plant."
"We cannot continue to roll the dice with the operation of Indian Point -- there is simply too much at stake," said Attorney General Cuomo. "The NRC has repeatedly ignored the danger that Indian Point poses to New Yorkers – from its vulnerability to a terrorist attack, to its incapability to withstand potential earthquakes, to its lack of a plausible evacuation plan in the event of a catastrophe. We must do what is safest for New York and close Indian Point. Furthermore, opposing the relicensing in 2013 is only step one."
"I applaud Governor Spitzer and Attorney General Cuomo for taking the lead in opposing the relicensing of Indian Point and continuing to fight its continued operation," said County Executive Andy Spano. "This is not only my position, but the position of our Board of Legislators which passed a resolution to that effect back in 2003. The efforts to intervene in this highly complex and time-consuming process are simply Herculean. We are proud to be standing together as we move ahead in this long process to protect the residents of Westchester County."
Well, there it is folks...the Democratic Party's leading liberal lights act as dimwits on energy, again. The equally liberal NY Times, but somewhat more incisive, reported, however:
In a statement on Monday, Governor Spitzer said that the Indian Point relicensing application "fails to address a number of crucial issues." Although he did not go as far as Mr. Cuomo in calling for an immediate shutdown, Mr. Spitzer said the plant should close as soon as an alternative source of power could be found. The two reactors have a combined capacity of 2,069 megawatts. ...
It was not clear from the state’s filing how New York proposed to meet its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping the region’s grid supplied with energy on peak days, although opponents of the plant insist that efficient use of electricity could take up any slack should the reactors be shut down.
A duh. Ya' think? NOT! There ARE NO ALTERNATE forms of reliable energy! These types of views are DANGEROUS folks, dangerous. Anything that will be used to replace the over 2,000 MWs of CO2 and particulate free power will boost NY State's emissions of all these and will knock NY DOWN the ladder of states that are moving away from CO2,/particulate/NOx and Sulfite (they burn it all in NY folks, coal, gas even oil...right across from Indian Point in fact!).
It shows the priority of many anti-nuclearites once in power: coal yes, CO2 yes, NOx yes, nuclear NO!
'nuff said.
David Walters