FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   May 5, 2003                                                                     

   

For more information contact:

Lisa Rainwater van Suntum, IPSEC (646) 281-4426

John Flanigan, NYPIRG (212) 349-6460

COALITION CALLS ON FEMA TO IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW  CERTIFICATION FOR INDIAN POINT’S EMERGENCY PLAN  WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY

 

COALITION DEMANDS END TO FEMA AND ENTERGY’S SNEAKY MANEUVER TO CIRCUMVENT COUNTIES SURROUNDING INDIAN POINT 

 

NEW YORK – Today, at a press conference outside the offices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in lower Manhattan, members of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition, an alliance advocating for the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants, demanded that the federal agency immediately withdraw approval for the Indian Point radiological emergency plans, without further delay.  In addition, IPSEC highlighted the absurdity of FEMA and Entergy’s attempt to circumvent the four counties within the emergency planning zone and disregard their respective concerns regarding the adequacy of the emergency plan to safely evacuate and shelter citizens.  Entergy’s license to operate Indian Point is contingent upon having a certified emergency plan.

 

“IPSEC will accept nothing short of FEMA’s immediate withdrawal of certification for the Indian Point emergency plans,” says Lisa Rainwater van Suntum, coordinator for the Coalition’s 58 civic, professional and environmental organizations whose membership represents tens of thousands of New York State residents.  “While FEMA is accountable for the health and safety of millions of metropolitan residents, it has failed to act in a timely and responsible manner.  And it is outrageous that FEMA is teaming up with Entergy to work around the counties’ legitimate concerns about the adequacy of the Indian Point emergency plan.  FEMA, in blatant disregard for ‘home rule’ is ignoring the agency’s former director’s (James Lee Witt) well-substantiated evidence that the evacuation plan won’t work.  Without participation from the counties or the state and with the nation’s leading expert finding that the plan does not protect the public and may never be able to, how could FEMA even entertain the idea of certifying this fatally flawed evacuation plan?” James Lee Witt, following the release of his report which shredded virtually ever component of the plan, questioned whether the emergency plan could even be fixed to the point where the public would be adequately protected.  Senator Hillary Clinton shared the same position.

 

 

Background:

 

The four emergency planning zone counties - Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Orange - have refused to take part in an annual certification process for the emergency plans, citing the report from Witt Associates that said the plans were inadequate to protect the public from a release of radiation. In turn, the state told FEMA it could not certify the plans if the counties were not participating, since New York is a “home rule” state.  In other words, the state respects the four counties’ position and will not circumvent the counties. As a result, FEMA was forced to say it could not “reasonably assure” the safety of residents near the plants. But, FEMA issued a May 2 deadline for the state and counties to reconsider and to provide a list of specific documents such as estimated evacuation travel times, updated population figures and letters-of-agreement with bus companies.

 

On May 2nd, FEMA was unable to issue a decision because the counties refused to  provide additional information to the federal agency.  Therefore, FEMA is still unable  to determine “reasonable assurance” that the emergency preparedness plan protects the public from exposure to radiation in the event of a large release.

 

In a February 28 letter to the New York State Emergency Management Office and the four counties around the plants, FEMA explained that if it did not have the necessary local information on updates to the regional emergency plans by May 2nd, it would notify the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that it could not certify the plans would effectively protect the public in the event of a nuclear emergency. Such a notification would start a “120-day clock” in which FEMA could work with the state, four EPZ counties and Entergy to provide information to prove the plans are effective.

 

In a May 1st interview with the Journal News, a FEMA official said that the 120-day  clock would not start on May 2nd, and that it would take several weeks before an  actual determination is made and that the NRC will not be notified about the status of the emergency plans at this time.

 

Entergy, owner of Indian Point, has filed a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request with Westchester County in an effort to obtain the information on FEMA’s behalf.

 

The IPSEC coalition finds this to be a clear attempt to delay the process and work around the counties.  IPSEC is troubled by FEMA’s decision to team up with Entergy and turn its back on public health and safety.

 

Furthermore, IPSEC and many others believe the plan, in many ways, is unfixable.  James Lee Witt, following the release of his report, questioned whether the emergency plan could be fixed.  So has Senator Hillary Clinton.

 

Nothing short of immediate withdrawal of certification will be accepted by IPSEC. FEMA has failed to act in a timely and responsible manner despite the fact that: (1) all four counties within the 10-mile radius emergency planning zone have refused to sign an annual letter certifying that local components of the plans have been upgraded., (2) the report from Witt Associates criticized virtually every component of the emergency plan and questioned whether the plan could even be fixed, (3) over 310 elected officials and 45 municipalities are on record supporting a shutdown of Indian Point, and (4) months of public pressure.  Nearly 20 million people live within a 50-mile radius of Indian Point.

 

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Who:               Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC). IPSEC is a coalition of fifty-seven civic, environmental, health and public policy organizations that formed in response to a flood of citizen concerns about the safety of Indian Point nuclear power plants after the terrorist attacks on 9.11.01.  Our goal is to ensure the safety and security of our neighborhoods by bringing about the immediate closure of Indian Point and its safe and orderly decommissioning.

 

Speakers:         Lisa Rainwater van Suntum, PhD, IPSEC;

  Kyle Rabin, Riverkeeper

                          Elizabeth Shanklin, NYC Campaign to Close Indian Point;

  John Flanigan, NYPIRG