By Sylvie Dale
Online Editor
Feb. 7, 2002 — People worried about the security of Indian Point Nuclear Plant held a rally Tuesday in New York to express their concerns to the governor.
After President George W. Bush and several members of the Bush administration revealed that the Al Qaeda had made plans for attacking U.S. nuclear plants, people living or working near the Indian Point plant in New York began to worry about the plant’s vulnerability to attack, Environmental News Service reported.
N.Y. Gov. George Pataki has asked the federal government to check its evacuation guidelines for Indian Point and asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a number of potassium iodide pills in case of attack. Pataki on Thursday signed off on the evacuation plan at least for the next year.
Potassium iodide pills do not shield nearby residents from all effects of radiation; they only protect against thyroid cancer for a limited period of time.
A group called the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC) wants the temporary shutdown and security retrofit of the facility’s reactors, plus better protection of its fuel storage pools, ENS said, echoing the sentiment of several members of Congress who want the plant decommissioned.
New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey has introduced the Nuclear Security Act (HR 3382) into the House, which would federalize security procedures and workers at nuclear generating facilities.
To read more about the bill, visit the Thomas Register at https://thomas.loc.gov.
