13315682_1742173579328150_8193687068221851773_nWhen: Wednesday eve June 8, 2016

Where: DoubleTree Hotel, Tarrytown (Grand Ballroom, 455 S. Broadway)

Time: Informal questions and sign-up at 6pm. Formal meeting 7pm

Prepare to hear a lot about reactor baffle bolts. None of it good.

As many of you know, Friends of the Earth (FOE) has just filed an Emergency Petition demanding Indian Point Unit 2 be kept shut and Unit 3 be inspected. Here are links to FOE’s Press Release and Emergency Petition:

And check out these 4 great, timely articles by Roger Witherspoon:

1.   Degradation of Indian Point Reactor Triggers NRC Investigation (May 28, 2016) https://spoonsenergymatters.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/degradation-of-indian-point-reactor-triggers-nrc-investigation/

2.   Critical Nuclear Reacor Parts Fail at Indian Point 2 (Mar 31, 2016). https://spoonsenergymatters.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/critical-nuclear-reactor-parts-fail-at-indian-point-2/

3.   Dangerous Flaw Threatens to Close Nation’s Nuclear Fleet (Mar 4, 2016) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-witherspoon/dangerous-flaw-threatens-_b_9382364.html

4.   Indian Point Contaminates the Hudson River With Uncontrollable Radioactive Flow, Energy Matters (Feb 17, 2016).  https://spoonsenergymatters.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/indian-point-contaminates-the-hudson-river-with-uncontrollable-radioactive-flow/

Let’s show up and demonstrate our citizen power!


Updated June 6th:

Manna Jo Greene from Hudson River Sloop Clearwater recommends the following talking points for those attending and commenting at the NRC annual assessment hearing in Tarrytown.  Feel free to adapt, use your own words, etc., but these are the significant requests and points to be made:

Given the potential for a nuclear disaster due to degradation of critical equipment and structures inside the nuclear reactors at Indian Point, I / we/ or __ (name of organization) support(s) the Emergency Petition filed by Friends of Earth on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 calling on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to keep Reactor 2 offline until the NRC certifies that the root causes of reactor bolt degradation are identified, other reactor vessel components are fully inspected and repaired, and that the reactor is safe to operate.  It also calls for an immediate shutdown to inspect Reactor 3, the twin to IP-2, to ensure that its bolts and related structures undergo the same rigorous scrutiny. 

In addition, we call upon our Congressional delegation to ensure there is rigorous independent oversight of and input into this process by a wide range of nuclear scientists and technical experts; that all facts and findings regarding both reactors by the NRC and an independent evaluation of these reactors be brought forward in a public and transparent process at a Congressional field hearing to be held in this region; and that neither facility be allowed to reopen unless there is indisputable evidence that it is safe to do.

Key talking points:

  • Inspections must include a root cause analysis to identify the cause of degradation of reactor internals.
  • NRC must inspect other reactor internal components, including but not limited to the baffle and former plates and attached structures.

From the Petition:   “For the foregoing reasons, the Commission should exercise its authority to immediately prohibit restart of Unit 2 and order the shut down and inspection of Unit 3 until the Staff and Entergy (1) ensure that the baffle-former bolt failures in Unit 2 are mitigated; (2) study the cause of the failures; (3) ensure that the failures will not recur at Unit 2; and (4) determine whether the same failures are present at Unit 3, which has nearly the same design as Unit 2. The Commission should not permit restart of Unit 2 until it is satisfied that the unit can operate safely.”