The Indian Point nuclear plant in Buchanan, N.Y., has been a major source of power to New York City and its northern suburbs since the first reactor went into operation in 1962. But the plant, which is now owned by Entergy, has encountered a string of accidents and mishaps since its beginnings, and has appeared on the federal list of the nation’s worst nuclear power plants.
On May 2, 2007, the NRC announced that the “License Renewal Application for Indian Point Nuclear Plant is available for Public Inspection”. This initiated Entergy’s effort to extend the operating licenses of each unit by 20 years. The original federal licenses for the two reactors expire in 2014 and 2016
For the Cuomo administration, closing Indian Point would be a major step toward reshaping the state’s energy policy. Replacing the plant would take years and require a long-term energy strategy. The plant produces 2,000 megawatts and provides 25 percent of the power in New York City and Westchester.
The operators of the Indian Point nuclear plant shut down one of its two reactors early Tuesday morning to repair a malfunctioning cooling pump.
The shutdown comes as the plant, which sits about 40 miles north of Midtown Manhattan, is under increasing political pressure, especially from Gov. Andrew Coumo. The governor has said the plant should be closed completely because it’s a safety risk, and in his State of the State address last week he highlighted a plan to improve the state’s electrical transmission system, which could help replace some of the power Indian Point provides to downstate New York.
Entergy Corp. which operates the plant, said no radioactivity was released during the shutdown. Because the shutdown was an unplanned reduction in power output, it counts against Indian Point in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s indicators of plant safety. But a spokesman said Indian Point is “well below” the level at which more oversight would be required.
“This is what their procedures call for and we didn’t see any indication that they’re not adhering to those procedures,” the spokesman said.
But those who favor closing Indian Point said the incident underlines safety concerns.
“It’s not surprising it’s having problems like this, given its age and given some of the other problems it has had,” said Paul Gallay, president of the environmental group Riverkeeper. “It’s one thing to drive a car that’s got too many miles on it; it’s a hell of a different thing to run a nuke plant like that.”
Resources:
http://topics.nytimes.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Point_Energy_Center#Recertification_or_closure
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577153233638252006.html