ML072700561

Comment (2) of Melvin Burruss on Behalf of African American Men of Westchester, Inc., Supporting Relicensing of Indian Point

ML072700561
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	09/19/2007
From:	Burruss M African American Men of Westchester
To:	Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch
References
72FR42134 00002
Download: ML072700561 (2)

Text

AfricanV/A American Men of, Westchester,-, Inc 333 Mamaroneck Avenue, PMB 293; .":~ White

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September.19, 2007 ... .....

Melvin A. Burruss, Esq.

President Chief, Rules and Directives Branch Attorney at Law Division of Adfiiinisstrative services ',... "' 7;---\" .

Eric D. Eller Office. of Administration . . . ..

Vice President Vice President- Mailstop T-6D59 Commercial Lending U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Conimis .sio'n Olney Reynolds Washington, DC, 20555-0.001 Treasurer Supervisor- Re: Relicensing of lildian Point Westchester County P.R.C.

Lawrence C. Safley Corresponding Secretary One of the three prongs of the mission of the African American Men of Commissioner Westchester Counhj Westchester is "to focus attention on social issues which have a disproportionately Dept. of Transportation negative impacton the' African American community." Accordingly, the issue of Robert A. Morgan Recording Secretary ene rgy usage and: how it affects the finances, health and environment of the African Teleconunnnications Consultant Arneýrican comimuhitiy` is-a:mjj% rn of our organization due to the potential Office of General Council implications of the Indian Point Energy Center not receiving their license renewal.

C. Douglas Dixon, Esq.

John Grimes, Esq. Entergy has a long history of serving as a generous corporate citizen and E-mail: advocate for the well-being of minority communities, which has made it an ideal aamwinc@aol.com Web Site:

partner for our outreach program. Our organization feels that it is in the best interest of http://www.aamw.com the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to relicense Indian Point because Entergy values investment in our community and the daily operation of the plant protects our quality of life.

If Indian Point's license is not renewed, New York will feel this impact in many ways including increased electricity costs. New York's Energy Costs are already among the highest in the United States., according to the Public Policy Institute.

African- American residents will be affected because this adjustment will increase the cost of living while income remains the same.

This financial impact will also produce broad repercussions for African-American businesses as well. The increased cost of electricity could have a devastating effect for minority businesses that already feel the pinch of limited access to capital.

The cost of doing business in New York State is substantially higher than in most other states because employers here must pay higher taxes for electricity and other costs, according to a new "Just The Facts" data compilation by The Public Policy Institute.

is IRC501 (c) 3 Tax Exenipt CharitableCorporation

• .It. "k Not only does Indian Point's operation keep energy costs manageable, but there is also numerous environmental, health, and welfare benefits of a non-greenhouse gas-emitting source like nuclear energy. Currently, minority communities are facing serious risks due to fossil fuels. As an example, Harlem has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation, according to a 2004 study.

If Indian Point is not relicensed, the power will have to come from sources other than nuclear and these have already been determined to be inadequate substitutions. Since 1973, nuclear energy has displaced 4.3 billion barrels of imported oil and reduced our trade deficit by $12 billion. Despite protest by environmental groups, Indian Point is responsible for generating an average of 38% of the lower Hudson Valley and New York City's electricity - enough to power 2,000,000 homes, according the New York Independent System Operator.

When determining whether Indian Point Energy Center should qualify for license renewal, consider how the plant improves the quality of life of all New York residents, both directly and indirectly. Indian Point provides our state with an energy source that is unmatched in potential, a clean energy alternative, and a deeply community invested partner in Entergy.

For the aforementioned reasons, the African-American Men of Westchester hereby supports and petitions for the relicensing of the Indian Point Energy Center.

We look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter.

Sincerely, Melvin Burruss President