- Hopefully the reactors will close as stated in the closing agreement. An exception is if NYS needs electricity for reliability the reactors can stay open up to an additional four years or if there is a national emergency.
- Indian Point is closing because Entergy, the owner of Indian Point no longer makes as much of a profit as they used to. They are closing out Entergy Northeast and going back South to regulated markets where their profit is assured.
- The deregulated electricity market has already replaced Indian Point. The Public Service Commission started a replacement plan in 2012 and it has worked. We have a surplus of electricity. Demand is declining 2% a year because of efficiency, conservation and solar, not increasing as was anticipated.
- The figure used for the amount of stored high level radioactive waste at Indian point is usually cited as 2,700 tons. This does not include the fuel rods in the reactor or the waste that will be generated from now until the plant closes. There are an additional 100 tons in each reactor.
- The company that holds the license is primarily in charge. They must get approval from the NRC on some things. DOE, NYS DEC, and EPA all have roles to play.
- NRC rules allow for up to 60 years for decommissioning. Everyone in the community is pushing for a much faster process. North Star, a new decommissioning company, claims that they can do it for VT Yankee in eight years but this is their first try. Local government wants it done quickly.
- The exact number is uncertain. It is less than the 800 people currently employed there now. People currently working there should be used in the decommissioning process to the extent possible.
- There is a decommissioning fund that rate payers have paid into over the years. This stopped when a court case ruled that the federal government had to pay the companies for storing the high level radioactive waste since a centralized storage was not available. This money may or may not be enough.
- While the company should have to pick up the bill, it is possible that tax payers will have to pay if the fund is short. If not, money left over from the fund goes to the company that holds the license.
- There are ways to make decommissioning safer. It starts with careful citizen monitoring to make sure that corners are not cut, safety standards are maintained and nothing is done quick and dirty.
- Hardened On Site Storage means using the best canisters and casks possible, separating them on the property, camouflaging them and otherwise making them less vulnerable to attack than the current method of lining them up on a pad like bowling pins.
- Rolling Stewardship is a way to institutionalize the very best supervision and technology for long term, on site storage of high level radioactive waste. Professionals need to be in charge of this job.
- We need a Citizens Oversight Board to make sure that decommissioning is done safely and high level radioactive waste is isolated from people and the environment. The company that owns the license and the NRC must understand that an involved and knowledgeable citizenry is involved and ready to call them to account.