NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) In-Person Public Meeting

WHEN: Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 6-9pm

LOCATION: 
Sleepy Hollow Hotel and Conference Center (Formerly the “Doubletree Hotel”)
455 South Broadway
Tarrytown NY

(914) 631-5700

***For those who cannot attend in person, there is Teleconference Information at the bottom of this message.

Background you need to know

Entergy offloaded Indian Point to Holtec because the site is a liability. Why did Holtec want it? Because Holtec intends to make money from the Decommissioning Fund. 

PURPOSE of 7/29 Meeting: The NRC’s stated purpose of this meeting is to receive public comments on Holtec’s written, post shutdown plan for Indian Point (awkwardly acronymed: “IPEC PSDAR” for Indian Point Energy Center Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report).

OUR goal in presenting comments at the NRC meeting is to provide information on Holtec’s Indian Point post shutdown plan (PSDAR)  that will lead to safer decommissioning and get federal representatives to provide robust oversight of the NRC with regard to this and future decommissioning projects.

NOTE: This meeting is not an occasion to debate, extoll or mourn the done-deal shutdown of Indian Point. 

A list of specific questions and comments will be sent out in the next couple of days.

MEANWHILE, OUR CONCERN IN A NUTSHELL: Holtec’s Plan (“PSDAR”) gives woefully inadequate or non-existent treatment to key safety and financial issues affecting the New York Metropolitan Area. 

The Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC) and our environmental allies, are campaigning for the cleanest, safest decommissioning of Indian Point, with particular attention to safe, just, responsible management of the radioactive nuclear waste, now and for generations to come. And, we clearly recognize that the location/operation of the AIM Pipeline poses grave community danger and impedes a safe, secure decommissioning process.

Here are some basics about a FEW of our key concerns:

Radiation Monitoring

Holtec’s Post shutdown “Plan” makes no provision for effective, accurate, off-site radiation monitoring –i.e., at elementary schools in the vicinity– despite the fact that radioactive particulates are expected to be released into the air during the demolition of structures on site.  The NRC has no requirement for offsite monitoring. Who will pay for it?

Pipeline Risk

The NRC gave approval for a new 42” high pressure gas pipeline (the AIM pipeline) to be added to the other pipelines which traverse the Indian Point site. This situation is unique to Indian Point. No other nuclear site in the nation is so threatened by pipelines. Demolition work inherent to decommissioning elevates the hazard. NYS and multiple independent experts recognize the risk. However, the pipelines are not even mentioned in Holtec’s Plan document.

Financial Risk to New Yorkers

Holtec has taken over the $2 billion plus decommissioning fund. While NYS has negotiated some financial assurances, Holtec is a privately owned company with no financial transparency. Ultimately, if everything does not go according to Holtec’s Plan, New York taxpayers will be left holding the bag. 

The Highly Radioactive Waste Currently on Site

We have many, many concerns about the radioactive waste. This is an impossible situation. The waste is too dangerous to move, period. And Holtec’s spent fuel canisters are substandard. Until humanity develops the technology to neutralize the danger of nuclear waste, we are stuck. Meanwhile, Indian Point is currently a nuclear waste site and we have to do the VERY BEST we can.  Pretending otherwise is a disservice to the public. 

***NOTES ON TELECONFERENCE 

There will be a call-in conference line that will be moderated by an operator. 

Teleconference Number: (888) 950-9563

Passcode: 7254623

• There will be instructions for callers who want to comment to press *6 on their phones to be added to a line on a “first come, first served” basis

• Priority will be given to in-person attendees, and it will be up to the in-person meeting moderator to decide how many of the phone-in participants will be given the opportunity to speak their comments in real time during the meeting.

Submit Your Comments in Writing

You may submit comments by any of the following methods; however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the Federal Rulemaking Website:  Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0125.

Address questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301-415-0624; e-mail: [email protected].

This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 07/15/2021 and available online at federalregister.gov/d/2021-15068, and on govinfo.gov.

Mail Comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff. 

Also, Comments can and should be posted on Public Service Commission docket for IP Closure Task Force and DOB::

https://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterCaseNo=21-01188&CaseSearch=Search