“Congresswoman Sue Kelly Thursday got a commitment from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that his agency will take a close, hands on look at the Indian Point nuclear power plants.
Kelly questioned Chertoff during a House Transportation Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
Kelly called on Chertoff to explain FEMA’s reasoning for approving an
emergency plan that she and many other residents and local officials in the communities surrounding Indian Point view as fundamentally flawed. She called on Chertoff to organize a summit between federal, state, and local officials to reassess FEMA’s emergency preparedness plans at Indian Point and resolve glaring weaknesses.
“I’ll pass on to our under secretary my suggestion that he send a group up
to address this issue specifically with FEMA and state and local officials
so we can validate what are legitimate concerns and what needs to be done,” he told Kelly at the hearing.
The Congressional hearing focused on emergency preparedness issues
nationwide, and Kelly told Chertoff that Hudson Valley residents and local officials have been expressing renewed concerns about Indian Point emergency plans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and FEMA’s poor response to emergency needs.
The congresswoman noted that Westchester, Rockland, and Orange counties have not certified their county emergency plans.”
