FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 10, 2008

Contact: Renee Cho (914) 478-4501 x 239
rcho@riverkeeper.org

RIVERKEEPER PRESENTS ORAL ARGUMENTS IN INDIAN POINT RELICENSING PROCEEDINGS
Riverkeeper Addresses Terrorism Risks, Chronic Safety Problems, Killing of Fish, Radioactive Leaks, and Cost of Human Life Before Three-Judge Panel

(Tarrytown, NY) On Tuesday, March 11, and Wednesday, March 12, Riverkeeper will present oral arguments to a three-judge panel of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in support of its request for a hearing on whether the NRC should renew the Indian Point nuclear power plant operating license for an additional twenty years. In a set of contentions raising serious safety and environmental problems, Riverkeeper has opposed the relicensing of the plants.

Riverkeeper has assembled an impressive team of attorneys and experts to intervene in the relicensing proceeding. The team is led by Diane Curran, a nationally recognized attorney with 25 years of experience representing state government and community groups on matters related to nuclear safety and security before the NRC, and Phillip Musegaas, Riverkeeper attorney and policy analyst.

"Since 2001, Riverkeeper has been building its case against the continued operation of Indian Point," said Lisa Rainwater, Policy Director at Riverkeeper. "With each passing year, emergency shutdowns, safety violations, radioactive contamination, and security breaches have escalated. Armed with a team of stellar experts, we're prepared to make our case in court."

Riverkeeper has supported its hearing request with technical analysis by leading U.S. experts on nuclear safety, security and environmental issues, including Dr. Gordon R. Thompson of the Institute for Safety and Security Studies and Dr. Edwin S. Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, both nationally recognized authorities in the field of accident risk analysis and nuclear security; Dr. Joram Hopenfeld, a nuclear engineer and former NRC staff member with 45 years of experience in nuclear safety issues; and Dr. Peter Henderson, an international authority on the impacts of power plants on the aquatic environment.

"Our experts are prepared to make the case that this license extension application fails to address serious safety and environmental risks and therefore should not be granted," said attorney Diane Curran.

Riverkeeper will argue that Entergy's relicensing application fails to address a wide range of critical safety, security and environmental problems posed by the operation of the Indian Point plant:

I. Terrorism Risks and Severe Accidents

- Entergy fails to adequately address the risks and potential environmental impacts of a terrorist attack or a severe accident in the reactor, including radiological releases involving reactor containment bypass via include failure of steam generator tubs.

- Entergy fails to adequately address the risks and potential environmental impacts of a terrorist attack or accident in the spent fuel pools that could result in a spent fuel fire and catastrophic release of radiation. Entergy also refuses to consider lowering the density of spent fuel in the fuel pools by moving old fuel to dry cask storage -- a simple mitigation measure.

- Entergy deliberately underestimates the true costs in human life and property damage that would result if a severe accident occurred at Indian Point.

- Entergy fails to conduct an accurate cost-benefit analysis of plant upgrades that could lower the risk of a severe accident.

II. Chronic Safety Problems

- Entergy fails to adequately address the plans for managing the degradation of critical plant components caused by "metal fatigue" and "corrosion" that could compromise the safe operation of the plant if not properly inspected and repaired.


III. Killing of Hudson River Fish and Aquatic Life

- Entergy fails to accurately assess the adverse impacts of Indian Point's cooling water intake system on Hudson River fisheries caused by entrainment, impingement and heat shock (thermal discharge). Using outdated once-through cooling systems, Indian Point withdraws up to 2.5 billion gallons of Hudson River water per day, killing a billion Hudson River fish, eggs, and larvae annually.

IV. Radioactive Leaks and Radioactive Waste

- Entergy fails to accurately assess the environmental impacts of the spent fuel pool leaks of tritium, strontium-90 and cesium-137 on the groundwater and Hudson River ecosystem.

The oral arguments will be heard at the Richard Daronco Courthouse at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. in White Plains, from 9 am - 5 pm during the week of March 10 - 14. In opposing the renewal of the Indian Point operating license, Riverkeeper is joined by New York State (represented by the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Environmental Conservation), the Attorney General of Connecticut, Westchester County, Clearwater and other citizens' groups.

Click here to read Riverkeeper's petition.