Buchanan – The Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, SEMO and the NRC Tuesday conducted a bi-annual drill at the Indian Point nuclear power plants to review how responders did in the face of simulated emergencies.

While the results of the drill will be scrutinized and reviewed, a
consortium of environmental groups opposed to the continued operation of the plants, gave the drill a failing grade.

The Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition believes that since the drill was
inadequate and the emergency plan is “very, very weak,” said coalition
steering committee member Michel Lee. “There is absolutely no way you can have a workable emergency plan for a major accident or terrorist attack at Indian Point, but you could certainly have the best of many bad plans and we’re not even there yet.”

James Steets, spokesman for Indian Point owner Entergy, said emergency services can be well prepared based on what they learn from these simulated exercises. “Many, many parts of these exercises are real, even though they are playing a role, they’re dealing with events that they have to address, that they have to make decisions about, that consider all kinds of real obstacles for making decisions about what can be done or should be done about protecting the plants.”

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