One of the greatest tragedies of the 2011 calendar year was undoubtedly the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear disaster in Japan. Following an earthquake and the resultant tsunami in Japan, the facilities were overwhelmed, melted down and threatened the lives of thousands, if not millions on the densely populated island. Thousands of miles away, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission took heed of this warning when attempting to determine the propriety of relicensing Indian Point power plant just northwest of New York City. While the process has been ongoing since midway through the last decade, it has been significantly altered by a renewed skepticism toward nuclear energy brought on by the events at the Fukushima-Daiichi.
Comprising the greatest portion of the debate is the environmental benefits inherent to the continued operation of the Indian Point plant. Nuclear energy harvests power from the splitting of atoms, so it naturally contributes zero CO2 –equivalent particles to the atmosphere. As Norris McDonald, President of the African American Environmentalist Association noted in a New York Times on the matter, “If you shut it down, whatever you’re going to replace it with is going to increase emissions in communities like Harlem.” The leading candidate to replace the 2,000 megawatts shipped to New York City by Indian Point would be a natural gas plant, which while considered by environmentalists to be a cleaner form of energy, still falls short of the benchmark set by nuclear energy.
However, to proponents of Indian Point’s closure, this is all misinformation that distorts the true environmental impact felt by the plant’s operation. Plant operators will openly admit their inability to locate and repair a leak to one of the plant’s cooling tanks, though they argue that such is irrelevant as the water never contaminated water never leaves the compound. Concerns have also been raised about the manner in which Indian Point takes in water, a process that allegedly kills thousands of aquatic organisms annually, including at least one endangered species; further aggravating environmentalists, plant operators have offered to install screens at the points of water collection, but have refused to create more ecologically-friendly cooling towers.
The safety of local wildlife is not the sole danger being discussed, either. Also on the table is the ability of the plant to alert nearby residents of peril, a major factor upon which the NRC may deny them licensure renewal if not adequately proven. To meet standards, Indian Point must have sirens that can be heard up to a distance of ten miles from the site. Going back to the aforementioned fears of a potential leak, some lobbyists are also campaigning against the plant on grounds that it threatens the drinking-water supply of nearly eleven million people. Finally, while plant operators have said the compound and individual buildings are sturdy enough to withstand the impact of a jetliner, the plant’s proximity to New York City has raised eyebrows about its status as a possible terrorist target.
To date, the cards seem stacked against the continued licensure and operation of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Former New York Attorney General and current Governor Andrew Cuomo has long stood against the plant being relicensed by the NRC, and a number of environmental groups likewise oppose the federal government permitting the plant. But before rushing to such a hasty conclusion, perhaps it would be wise for those powerful groups to consider the alternatives, or lack thereof.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/nyregion/vision-for-cheap-power-even-if-indian-point-nuclear-plant-is-closed.html
–Excellent New York Times article breaking down the debate.
http://www.riverkeeper.org/campaigns/stop-polluters/indian-point/radioactive-waste/
–A primary source, a page from the website of one of the main activist groups opposing the relicensing of Indian Point.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-24/living/nuclear.plant.visit_1_nuclear-fuel-nuclear-power-plant-uranium-pellets?_s=PM:LIVING
–An article from CNN in which the author goes deep inside the Indian Point power plant to determine exactly what the entire debate is all about.
http://environmentalheadlines.com/ct/2012/02/02/indian-point-nuclear-power-plant-threatens-drinking-water-for-more-than-11-million-people/
–Another site actively campaigning against Indian Point, this one focuses on the plant’s impact on drinking water in the post-Fukushima age.
Green Peace commercial advertising the danger of nuclear power