IPSEC ADVOCATES IN ACTION

MICHAEL LEVY'S STATEMENT ON INDIAN POINT

presented by Michel Lee at the Ossining Town Board meeting on Tuesday, November 1, 2005

My name is Michael Levy.  I am a former U.S. Army Ranger Captain.  I am also the former CEO of a life insurance company.  I state my background because it is relevant to the two issues I wish to address.

SECURITY:   It is by now common knowledge from the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report, interviews with planners of the 9/11 attack and other intelligence that (1) an attack on U.S. nuclear power plants was envisioned as part of the original terrorist plan; (2) when Mohammed Atta saw Indian Point during his surveillance flights of the Hudson, he gave consideration to changing the target of American flight 11 to  Indian Point; and (3) U.S. nuclear power plants remain key targets. 

Notably, the American Academies of Science and Engineering identified the risk of an attack on a domestic nuclear plant as “high” in its Threat Matrix and the Foreign Military Studies office of the army has identified these facilities as among the most attractive terrorist targets.  In the words of Lt. Col. Bill Flynt, the director of the Threats to Critical Infrastructures program (of the Foreign Military Studies office of the Army):  “In a single superpower world, there’s a single best target.”  I would add that it is beyond reasonable refute that Indian Point stands out as the single best target among all of the nation’s nuclear facilities for the simple reason that it is located 26 miles from NYC.

Notwithstanding, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has refused to update the “design basis threat” – NRC jargon for the designation of the size and potency of attacks that nuclear plants should be prepared to thwart – to protect against a 9/11 type attack.  So let me be clear here, the NRC does not require Indian Point to be able to defend itself against an attack of the size and ferocity of that which this nation has already experienced.

On this point let me add that, as a combat veteran, I can assure you that even the best trained military fighters are at considerable disadvantage in the face of a surprise attack.  I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to how well security guards who have no real life experience defending a nuclear plant under attack, and who spend day after day, night after night engaged in the tedium of civilian guard duty would fare in the sudden and violent chaos of a major assault.  

SAFETY:  As you no doubt know, the insurance industry – the industry that deals in the cold hard calculus of numbers and risk – categorically will not insure against losses from nuclear power plant accidents.   Every policy you have – homeowners, commercial property and casualty, auto insurance, you name it, expressly excludes nuclear.  The reason is obvious.  No insurance company could withstand such losses.  They would be in the hundreds of billions, potentially trillions.

Now the nuclear industry spends a lot of PR dollars trying to convince everyone they never need worry about a major accident.  But don’t you find it interesting that, just this past year, the industry launched a massive lobbying effort to get Congress to renew the Price Anderson Act.  That’s the law that dumps the primary burden of the liability for a nuclear power plant accident on the taxpayer.  Now, as a former insurance executive, I can tell you that most industries would very much like to pass the liability for the damages they might cause onto someone else’s lap.  But in the whole USA, to my knowledge, only the nuclear industry enjoys that privilege.   Only the nuclear industry can argue that it could not stay in business without this wonderous piece of corporate welfare.  So let me suggest that when it comes to how safe nuclear plants are, don’t listen to what the big boys say, look at what they do. 

I thank you for your time.

 Michael H. Levy

PHOTOS

Advocates at the Jackson Browne Concert

Resident signing his postcard to the Governor

IPSEC Close Indian Point Table

Airplane Banner Summer 2002

POSTCARD TO GOVERNOR PATAKI

Front of Postcard to Governor Pataki

Text to Governor Pataki