Skip Navigation

Town of Cortlandt, NY

http://townofcortlandt.com/cn/News/index.cfm?NID=53487&jump2=0

Email a link to this web page.
Simply fill out this form and click Send.
*Fields in Red are required.
*You must enter a valid email
*You must enter a valid email.
Town of Cortlandt SealGo to our home page
CORTLANDT MANOR WEATHER

Latest News

Comments for the July 29, 2021 NRC Public Meeting

Release Date: July 29, 2021

TO:                         (NRC) Nuclear Regulatory Commission

FROM:                  Town of Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi

DATE:                    July 27, 2021

RE: Comments for the July 29, 2021 Government-to-Government meeting and to be submitted to the Public Hearing record

I have been the elected Town Supervisor of the Town of Cortlandt for 30 years and have attended all of the hearings and key meetings the NRC has held regarding Indian Point nuclear plants throughout the years.

Previously I have raised questions and concerns about safety measures at these plants and also about the NRC’s role as a check and balance on the many issues pertaining to nuclear facilities and specifically in our area (Village of Buchanan/Town of Cortlandt, New York).

Now, along with many other elected officials that represent our area, many citizens and from environmental groups I submit my questions, concerns and issues to the NRC regarding the decommissioning phase of Indian Point’s three nuclear plants, which are now all closed as of April 30, 2021:

  1. We all asked the NRC to hold a public hearing on Holtec being able and approved by the NRC to function as the new owner from Entergy and as the decommissioning company of the reactors.  This unfortunately did not happen and I ask why not?  Why didn’t the NRC allow us to raise our questions in a public forum/public hearing prior to the decision? I had volunteered the use of one of our larger buildings for the hearing.
  2. We need assistance from the NRC to have Holtec strictly monitor the air quality and other testing around the schools in particular the BV Elementary School (only 500ft. from the Indian Point property and the gas pipeline in the Hendrick Hudson School District.)These reports should be shared with the school district with the Village of Buchanan and Town of Cortlandt.
  3. Will the NRC be an oversight entity to the gasline (Spectra now Enbridge) which is in close proximity to the schools and homeowners?  Once again, reports will be needed.
  4. I am requesting that the NRC monitors stay at Indian Point for the duration of the decommissioning just as they did when the nuclear plants were in operation.
  5. Groundwater studies are very important.  There are many (33 plus) wells on the 240 acres of Indian point.  They need to be evaluated periodically by certified scientific companies and their reports also shared.
  6. Is there and will there be enough funding available for the decommissioning process?  If not, what is the procedure to add to this important funding source?  We do not want the company to walk away in the middle of dismantling the plants due to a lack of funds.  Will the NRC make the drawdown of this fund public and for what purposes are these monies utilized?
  7. How much is currently in this trust fund?  I was recently told $2.36 billion.
  8. Security is still very critical at these plants and therefore what role will the NRC take to ensure safety and security for our community and for the workers remaining at the plants?
  9. Will you assist the local communities with funding while the storage of the spent fuel is still located at Indian Point?  This could be a security risk and therefore, local governments should receive compensation.
  10. How many safety inspections will take place by the NRC during the decommissioning process and will those reports be made public?  We recommend at least monthly.
  11. I recommend that a hotline number be established by the NRC so that local officials and oversight boards can file complaints and directly raise questions (24/7).
  12. The community has and still remains disturbed that the gas pipeline was allowed to be constructed/moved closer to Indian Point.  I stated this over the years and continue to raise this important issue.
  13. Are there plans to have the spent fuel transported out of our community in the near future?  If so, where?
  14. In conclusion, what was the criteria used to decide that Holtec met the qualifications to become the new owner of Indian Point and to be a responsible company for the decommissioning process?
  15. We need complete answers to these questions and to those raised by others in a timely fashion not to exceed one month (by September 1, 2021).

I look forward to receiving answers to my questions.  As I mentioned before I have been Supervisor for three decades and have listened to many NRC panels that have not always answered questions fully. We now must and insist on all of the questions answered to better disseminate information to our residents and community.

 

Thank you,

 

Supervisor Linda D. Puglisi

 

CC:         Cortlandt Town Board

                Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker

                Hendrick Hudson Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter