The final decision on Indian Point's 20-year license renewal application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has hit another snag... Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports
The NRC will hold off before approving new licenses for Indian Point (and other nuclear plants) until the problem of dealing with safety and environmental threats posed by on-site storage of highly radioactive spent fuel is addressed...
Spent fuel has been building up on-site at the 40-year-old Buchanan reactors in the absence of any permanent repository.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater's Manna Jo Greene is alarmed by the conditions of those storage areas- known as "fuel pools" - The NRC has committed to addressing the risks posed by long-term nuclear waste storage at the facility before making any relicensing decisions.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a statement in response to the NRC's order, hailing the action as "a victory for the 17 million people living and working close to Indian Point" - The A-G, has joined with environmental groups Riverkeeper and Clearwater, in voicing concerns about the on-site storage issue.
NRC officials say they're not expecting a ruling on Indian Point's license renewal until "at least" 2013. Again, Neil Sheehan. Sheehan favors reviewing spent fuel storage "on an ongoing basis" - not just during the renewal process. Entergy spokesman Jerry Napi says Indian Point looks forward to a decision by the NRC.
The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear 10 contentions concerning the plant's license renewal in October in Tarrytown.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has said repeatedly that he wants to shut Indian Point down.
