4/16/15 Times Herald-Record: Power Plant Watchdogs: Communities Not Ready

Project says emergency plans need improvement

By Jeremiah Horrigan, Times Herald-Record 4/16/15

A nuclear power plant watchdog group says Sullivan and Ulster counties and other communities within 50 miles of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County are unprepared to deal with a potential disaster there.

While government and utility officials say only those within 10 miles of nuclear plants need detailed emergency plans in place, The Disaster Accountability Project recommends expanding the range to 50 miles. Its report, issued Wednesday, said residents of communities within a 50-mile radius are likely to trigger a “shadow evacuation.” That means those millions of residents would scurry for safety against official recommendations and further clog escape routes for those closer to the plant.

“When people hit the road because they’ve been given no guidance, a chain reaction for further disaster will be created,” according to Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the group.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Smilowitz said, claims that such planning is unnecessary.

The federal government requires emergency planning specific to Indian Point only within the a 10-mile radius, which includes Orange County. The wider circle covers roughly half of Sullivan and almost all of Ulster counties, as well as New York City and parts of Long Island and New Jersey.

The group found that 20 of 24 jurisdictions within the 50-mile radius, an area encompassing eight million people, did not possess or were unaware of the need for shadow evacuation planning.

Steve Peterson, Ulster County’s director of emergency services, said the county has evacuation routes but nothing specifically related to Indian Point, which is located just south of Peekskill. He said he was aware of the need for further planning, “but where’s the funding going to be for that?”

Dick Martinkovic, Sullivan County’s director of public safety, said he was aware of the problems an evacuation would entail.

“We’ve talked about this for 10 years now,” he said Wednesday. “We keep an eye on these things, but it’s not something with an easy solution.”

Smilowitz agreed with Peterson’s assessment of the problem:

“Most communities situated 10 or more miles from Indian Point do not plan for radiological emergencies simply because Washington doesn’t require it,” he said.

If Washington is unresponsive, Smilowitz said communities need to demand action at the local level, including seeking grants to pay for the research and planning.

Manna Jo Greene, environmental action director of the environmental group Clearwater, said Wednesday that planning may not be enough in the face of a disaster.

Incredulity colored her voice as she said Indian Point was in the midst of seeking a renewal of its operating license for the next 20 years.

“To continue to operate is playing Russian roulette with all our futures,” she said.”With new, cleaner sources of energy emerging all the time, the immense risks of keeping it operational far outweigh the benefits.”

jhorrigan@th-record.com