For Immediate Release                                                       March 11, 2003

CONTACT:               

Lisa Rainwater van Suntum, PhD--646.281.4426

CITIZEN COALITION URGES GOVERNOR PATAKI TO CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CLOSING OF INDIAN POINT PLANT   

Broad-based Support for Closing of Plant Intensifies with Release of Final Report by Independent Consultant

White Plains, New York ---(March 11, 2003)—Today the growing grassroots citizen campaign led by the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition called on Governor Pataki to immediately call for closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, following the release of the final safety report by independent consultant, James Witt. 

 

“The Witt Report’s final conclusions clearly confirm our Coalition’s position that the proposed emergency evacuation plans are inadequate to protect millions of New Yorkers in the event of a serious accident or a terrorist-triggered attack,” says Lisa Rainwater van Suntum, coordinator for the Coalition’s 56 civic, professional and environmental organizations whose rapidly growing membership includes tens of thousands of New York State residents.   The Coalition’s position is supported by over 250 elected officials who have called for closure of the plant.

 

 “In light of the Witt report’s final conclusions, we believe the Governor and his State Emergency Management Office should send only one message to FEMA and the NRC--that the emergency plan is fatally flawed and, therefore, NRC regulations require that Indian Point must immediately be closed,” says Rainwater.

 

Background

The grassroots movement to shut down Indian Point has gathered momentum in the past several weeks after the affected counties and the State refused to certify the evacuation plan.  However, FEMA, the federal agency that has ultimate authority over ensuring the evacuation plan is certified, has not yet issued their ruling thus allowing the plant to continue operations.  On Friday, March 7th, the final version of the Witt report was released. Federally-elected officials (Clinton, Nadler, Lowey, Engel, Kelly) have participated in hearings on the security and emergency planning at Indian Point.

 

Meanwhile, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg have remained silent on closing Indian Point, despite the growing number of elected officials and citizens who are calling for the closing of the nuclear plant, which operates 35 miles from Times Square in the most densely populated area of the United States.

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