FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: September 3, 2003

For more information contact:
Kyle Rabin (845) 424-4149 x 239
Mark Jacobs (914) 739-2742


INDIAN POINT REMAINS IN SPOTLIGHT

INDIAN POINT CONTINUES TO BE THE FOCUS OF LAWSUITS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND FEDERAL APPEALS

Significant safety and security issues continue to plague Entergy's Indian Point nuclear power plant. In the past several weeks, Indian Point has been the subject of federal appeals, lawsuits, and special investigations including:

1) Westchester County appeals FEMA decision on Indian Point emergency plan
2) NRC launches probe of numerous unplanned shutdowns at Indian Point
3) NRC investigates high number of employee allegations at Indian Point
4) Indian Point security officers file lawsuit claiming unpaid overtime

A brief summary of each follows:

WESTCHESTER APPEALS CONTROVERSIAL FEMA DECISION
On August 25, 2003, Westchester County filed an administrative appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's controversial July 25th ruling that the emergency plan for the 10-mile radius surrounding the Indian Point nuclear power plant could protect the public. Westchester County's appeal of the agency's decision is the first step in an administrative process that could lead to a federal court challenge of FEMA's ruling. FEMA's decision, which was quickly supported by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was made despite the contentions of Westchester and Rockland counties that the emergency plans could not work, particularly in a fast-breaking situation and radioactive release triggered by an accident or terrorist attack. Conspicuously, FEMA failed to file their July 25th determination in the Federal Register.

FEDERAL NUCLEAR AGENCY LAUNCHES SPECIAL INSPECTION OF INDIAN POINT
On August 12, 2003, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) launched a special inspection of Entergy's Indian Point nuclear power plant to assess why there have been nine unplanned shutdowns and electrical system disturbances at both reactor units during the past 18 months. The national average for the 103 operating reactors is less than one unplanned shutdown per reactor. Teams of specialists from NRC headquarters are reviewing Indian Points' operations to examine the causes of the shutdowns, equipment and electrical system reliability, the role that human error played in recent incidents and plant operator performance during accidents. The inspection will also assess Entergy's corrective actions and ability to evaluate the root cause of problems. Such NRC inspections are not common. In fact, there have been less than a dozen of such inspections nationwide. The inspection will be conducted over the next several weeks. The inspection team will issue a report of its findings within 45 days of the close of the inspection. FOR MORE INFO,
-08-12-03 NRC Press Release: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2003/03-047i.html

-Available upon request, copy of the August 12, 2003 NRC special inspection charter memorandum.

INDIAN POINT FOCUS OF FEDERAL INQUIRY DUE TO HIGH NUMBER OF WHISTLEBLOWER ALLEGATIONS FILED BY INDIAN POINT EMPLOYEES
An annual report (for the year 2002) issued in late July by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Allegation Program lists Indian Point among those plants targeted for an in-depth review due to a massive number of whistleblower complaints filed by plant employees. Among the plants selected, Indian Point units 2 and 3 had the largest number of alleged offenses with 28, a 22 percent increase over the 23 complaints filed the previous year. The complaints primarily involved issues of security and discrimination. The NRC investigates each complaint and the whistleblower's identity is concealed. The NRC's allegation program exists for those who do not feel comfortable going to Indian Points' employee concern program. The report notes that "allegations at the Indian Point site have notably increased." The report continues: "Approximately 75 percent of the allegations received at Indian Point 2 & 3 were in the security area. While most plants across the country have received a general increase in security-related allegations since the September 11, 2001, terrorism attacks, Indian Point's increase has been pronounced." The median number of complaints for power plants last year was four, according to the NRC's report. During the first 4 months of 2003, Indian Point has already racked up 25 allegations (source: http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/regulatory/allegations/stats/rcvd.html).
-Available upon request, copy of the 2002 NRC Allegation Program Report

INDIAN POINT SECURITY OFFICERS FILE LAWSUIT CLAIMING UNPAID OVERTIME
On July 23, 2003, over 30 Indian Point security officers, both former and current, filed a federal lawsuit charging that company work rules required them to work overtime for which they were not compensated. The lawsuit accuses Entergy Nuclear and the New York Power Authority of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.
-As reported in 08-17-03 Journal News: http://www.thejournalnews.com/environment/17/index.html

Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC). IPSEC is a coalition of sixty 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. For a list of member organizations, please go to: www.IPSECinfo.org

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