Indian Point To Run Siren Test

BUCHANAN, NY — The Indian Point Energy Center emergency notification sirens will sound during a regular quarterly test of the system between 10:30 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday. As part of this test, sirens will sound at full volume for four minutes in Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam counties.

Because this is only a test, the public is not required to respond during the siren sounding.

Remember, sirens are not a signal to evacuate.

In an actual emergency, the sirens would sound to alert the public to tune in to a local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio or television station for important information and direction. These stations are listed in the emergency planning booklet mailed to households and businesses in the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone around Indian Point. An electronic version of the booklet is posted on the Indian Point web site, www.safesecurevital.com.

Indian Point Energy Center is home to three nuclear plants. The two currently operating will be shut down by 2021.

Municipal and school officials are scrambling to deal with the loss of the plant. Entergy is half of the village of Buchanan's tax base, one-third of the Hendrick Hudson school district's annual tax base, pays $1 million a year to the town of Cortlandt and pays Westchester $4.5 million a year in lieu of taxes. It employs close to 1,000 people.

Residents are also concerned about what will happen to the site after decommissioning.

The cumulative amount from the three Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds at Indian Point (units 1, 2 and 3) was $1.85 billion as of Dec. 31, 2018.

Issues surrounding the Indian Point closing, from the devastating tax impact to the thorny question of storing radioactive fuel rods will be included in a report the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must provide to Congress identifying best practices for communication between a decommissioning licensee and a local community.