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Indian Point Safe, Radiation Good For You, Says Area Man
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 22, 2011
Modified Mar 22, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 22, 2011
Modified Mar 22, 2011
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Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and Director of State Operations Howard Glaser are meeting with regulators from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today to discuss the risks facing the Indian Point nuclear plant in the event of an earthquake. You'll recall that the plant, which is about 25 miles from city limits, is at the intersection of two different fault lines. But there is nothing to worry about, say the plant's owners and this area man on the street, who gives NY1 the quote of the day:
"Nuclear power is the safest power there is," said a knowledgeable man on the street who declined to give his name. "The fears of radiation are ridiculous. You're radioactive; I'm radioactive. Tiny doses of radioactivity are really helpful they've discovered. People in Colorado get two or three times the dose of normal radioactivity, compared to what we get. So I say more nuclear power plants!" Then a smaller, second head growing out of his neck chimed in, "And more equal rights for mutants!" (Watch at the 1:30 mark.)
Entergy Corp - which runs the plant - says the reactors are safe and the plant can withstand a magnitude 6.0 earthquake. John McCann, plant owner Entergy's vice president for nuclear safety, licensing and emergency planning, told Westchester County lawmakers yesterday, "I would say categorically that Indian Point is not susceptible to the type of earthquake that occurred in Japan. And more importantly, perhaps, to the tsunami." Former mayor and presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani also says there's nothing to fear, and he's certainly an authority, having been hired by Entergy as a security consultant.
Others, like Governor Cuomo, have called for the plant to be shut down. And federal inspectors will soon conduct a full review of the plant's safety. Asked about the possibility of an earthquake, Energy Secretary David Chu said Sunday, "It is an issue. We're going to have to look at whether this reactor should remain [in operation]. This is not to say that we believe that reactor is unsafe." No, not at all, but it sounds like Entergy might have forgotten the three most important rules of nuclear plant building: location, location, location.
Theoretical physics professor and author Dr. Michio Kaku was on The Late Show with David Letterman last night talking about Indian Point, which the talk show host is strongly opposed to. "We have so many gangs and so much violence in this city, why don't we send some of these gangs up there to just take the thing apart?" asked Letterman. Kaku replied, "That's the Letterman solution!"
By the way, last week a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in east-central Canada was felt as far south as New York's Adirondack Mountains. And if you're not cool with Indian Point, you may want to join forces with the Rock the Reactors movement. (Check out the awesome website.) The group's organizer Remy Chevalier tells us why this issue is so important to him:
Any asshole with a surface to air missile can shoot it into the water intake and demolish the cooling system… Any asshole can drive a plane into the plant… a multitude of calamities could happen… Can you imagine trying to evacuate Manhattan? The whole thing is insane, has been insane since the beginning. The only reason we’re using enriched uranium and now plutonium to boil water to drive a turn of the last century steam turbine is because these jokers at the Pentagon needed to justify the cost of all these centrifuges! Why it’s important to me? Because it’s the ultimate insult to life… enriched uranium and plutonium do not exist in nature, we created it out of arrogance, like the tower of Babel…
Chernobyl wasn’t enough? Indian Point wasn’t enough? GE had to go and impose their sick brand of ridiculous pretense on the Japanese people, and put their reactors all stacked in a row on top one of the most active earthquake fault on the planet? We can make iPads, we can make Tesla Motor cars? And we can’t find a way to capture electrons from the ambient environment where they are free for the taking? We had to create the worse possible poison man has ever known, and fuck with it? Please don’t get me going ok? That’s why I don’t talk about the reasons why… because if by now people don’t know why so many are so passionate about their anti-nuclear convictions, there’s really nothing we can do to help them… Read my book ELLE on Earth, I was there in the room when that oaf of a man, Pompidou, sold out France to Westinghouse… France is living on borrowed time… one close call after the other… all for what? A few more light bulbs? Buy LEDs!
Tagged
indian point
Japan Earthquake
japan nuclear plant
nuclear power
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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