Indian Point, did you feel that?
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The 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the East Coast from Virginia to New Hampshire reinforces the fact that if someone tells you what happened at Fukushima can’t happen here, they’re not telling the truth. If you move the earthquake that just occurred about 200 miles north and increase its intensity only slightly, it would be over the limit of what Indian Point can handle.
Columbia University’s 2008 study shows that two different earthquake fault lines cross just north of Indian Point, positioning it in pretty much the worst location for a nuclear plant in the NY metro area. Earthquake risk isn’t even part of the relicensing hearing for Indian Point and that’s unconscionable. The NRC and President Obama need to treat this earthquake as a wake-up call and take the actions necessary to close this plant instead of allowing it to operate for another twenty years .
Riverkeeper has been raising concerns about Indian Point’s impact on the Hudson River ecosystem for more than forty years, and has fought to close the reactors since just after the September 11 terrorist attacks, when we learned of the plant’s vulnerability to terrorism and poor safety record. Since the tragedy began unfolding at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Riverkeeper has been working on many fronts to hold the NRC accountable for the gross negligence regarding safety issues that has continued at Indian Point.
