Indian Point Closure: Local Hearing Puts All the Issues on the Table

CORTLANDT, NY — Elected officials, business owners, union representatives and members of the community jammed the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 21 meeting hall in Peekskill Thursday night for a public hearing on the closure of Indian Point.

The hearing took place two days after several local officials traveled to Albany to make their concerns known to lawmakers; and after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the formation of a Governor's Task Force to handle the closing of the nuclear power plants.

Entergy's decision to close Indian Point by 2021 was primarily a business decision, the company said when the announcement was made Jan. 9. As part of the deal, New York state, which has been pushing for closure for years, and Riverkeeper, the environmental watchdog organization, agreed to withdraw their many legal filings against relicensing for Units 2 and 3.

"Shutting down Indian Point will put more than a thousand skilled laborers out of work, which will have a ripple effect on local economies," said state Sen. Terrence Murphy. "It will drastically cut critically needed funding for the Hendrick Hudson School District and raise serious issues concerning security and the plant decommissioning process. In short, their hasty decision will leave Peekskill, Cortlandt, Buchanan and the entire region in shambles."

The hearing, hosted by Murphy, who represents the area directly affected by the closure, featured nearly 20 speakers who provided information and opinions about the effect losing Indian Point will have on the community.

"The sudden announcement of the closing has caused tremendous uncertainty and fear for those living near the plant and rely on it for their livelihood," said Westchester County Legislator John Testa, who represents the northwest corner of the county. "Unfortunately, the Governor and his administration were narrowly focused on closing the plant without concern or compassion for those most affected economically."

In light of the hearing, the New York Public Service Commission issued a statement:

After more than a decade of lawsuits, petitions, and expert testimony demonstrating the significant safety risks posed by Indian Point, Governor Cuomo secured an agreement with Entergy to close the plant by 2021. Due to careful planning by the State, there will be sufficient replacement power available and all employees will be offered new positions at existing Entergy facilities or retrained with new skills. The State has convened a task force to ensure seamless coordination between the state and local jurisdictions, and to identify needs and opportunities for further assistance.

The jobs were the biggest issue for many at the hearing.

"The loss of over 1000 plus jobs is devastating to these men and women and their families. It will be very difficult to replace these highly skilled workers back into a field that is slowly dying out," said Tom Carey, President, Westchester-Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO. "These people rooted themselves into this community to raise families and send their children to good schools. Many of these workers have become civic leaders, making their neighborhoods something to be proud of. These are the people that represent the workers at Entergy. They deserve better! These people are not looking for a handout but a hand up!"

Underlying that concern is the economic health of northwest Westchester, where Entergy was not only the biggest employer but also the largest taxpayer and an economic engine supporting numerous other small businesses.

"Clearly, the state has money to dispense when it comes to economic development," said Deb Milone, Executive Director, Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. "On January 9, the state took credit for closing Indian Point. Now the state needs to provide resources so that local leaders can utilize the services of experts in economic development and evaluate the situation, and then develop a comprehensive plan and take action."

Other issues that were of concern to speakers and audience alike included whether the closure will lead to higher electricity costs, a lack of grid reliability and increased air pollution. State officials have said there are sufficient sources to replace the nuclear power without adding emissions.

The local community is also concerned about the operational safety of the plants in their last years of operation and then safety and environmental issues past 2021, such as the spent fuel rods, which will be stored on site.

"We have to get the next steps right, and that cannot be done by three men in a room," said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. "It requires real community involvement."

After the hearing, Cortlandt Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi said she was pleased to be asked to serve on the governor's commission and pointed out a local Community Task Force has already started meeting on the issues.

"I have been asking for a commission to be established ever since the announcement of Indian Point's closing by the Governor and by Entergy," she said. "I had written a letter to the Governor back in 2011 asking for a committee/commission due to the Governor stating at that time he wanted to see Indian Point eventually closed."

Puglisi, Hendrick Hudson School Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter and Buchanan Village Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker were in Albany to testify at a public hearing of the joint Assembly and Senate Energy Committee about their many concerns, including the impact to taxpayers of the loss of Entergy's $33 million annual P.I.L.O.T. payment — the Town of Cortlandt, Village of Buchanan, Hendrick Hudson School District, Westchester County, Hendrick Hudson Free Library and Verplanck Fire District.

The Community Task Force's next meeting is at 7 p.m. March 16 at Cortlandt Town Hall.

SEE ALSO:

• New Indian Point Task Force to Handle Closure Issues: Cuomo
• Cortlandt Supervisor: Update on Indian Point Closure
• Entergy Confirms Indian Point Nuclear Plant Will Close
• Plan for Indian Point Closing, Aftermath
• Indian Point Closing Will Have 'Catastrophic' Effect