Indian Point Task Force Seeks Comments On Annual Report

CORTLANDT, NY — The state's task force looking at issues surrounding the pending closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant has issued two reports. One addresses the pressing issue of the re-use of the massive industrial site in Buchanan. The other is an annual report that describes everything the task force has done so far.

The draft Annual Report issued Wednesday for public comment noted the following:

• Local Taxes: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Legislature, led by local representatives Senator Terrence Murphy and Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, expanded the State’s Electric Generation Facility Cessation Program to ensure state funding assistance will be available to the affected taxing jurisdictions when Indian Point closes. Legislation was also enacted authorizing the Hendrick Hudson School District to establish a Reserve Fund that will allow the District to smooth out reductions in payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) post-closure.
• Employment: The UWUA Local 1-2 reached a 4-year agreement with Entergy, affecting hundreds of workers at the plant. The agreement provides for a retention incentive to maintain full employment through closure, and resulted in ongoing discussions about UWUA’s role in preparing the site for decommissioning post-closure. In addition, the Department of Labor is in the process of working with all employees to develop career transition plans, and will be identifying retraining opportunities for affected workers.
• Energy Reliability: On Dec. 13, 2017, the New York Independent System Operator issued a report on system reliability impacts of Indian Point closure in 2021, and concluded that the plant can close on schedule without negatively affecting reliability.
• Decommissioning and Reuse: While Entergy has not yet filed its plans for decommissioning, the State contracted with DL English Consulting, a firm with expertise in nuclear licensing and decommissioning, to develop a Reuse Study, which was issued along with the Annual Report. The report provides substantial background information on the decommissioning process and identifies three parcels of the IPEC property that could potentially be made available for redevelopment in the near-term concurrent with the decommissioning of the plant. The Reuse report will be a valuable resource to the State and host communities when discussing decommissioning and future use of the property with Entergy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

In terms of immediate next steps, the Task Force will accept public comments on the Annual Report over the next 30 days prior to submitting the final version to Cuomo and the legislature.

Comments on the Annual Report can be submitted by going to the Department of Public Service’s website and entering matter number 17-00994 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Documents may also be obtained from the department’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500).

Long-term, DPS officials said, the Task Force will continue focusing on:

• New economic development opportunities in the affected taxing jurisdictions that can help to replace lost PILOT revenue.
• The decommissioning process so that State agencies and host communities can effectively work with NRC and Entergy to ensure a timely and safe decommissioning of the plant. The Reuse Study will be foundational to that process.
• The Department of Labor will continue to work with the workforce to develop individualized transition plans and will identify retraining opportunities.

PHOTO/ Entergy