ML090711021
| ML090711021 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 03/10/2008 |
| From: | Funck J Health Advantage Institute |
| To: | Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch |
| References | |
| 73FR80440 00006 | |
| Download: ML090711021 (2) | |
Text
HEALTH ADVANTAGE INSTITUTE
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,-. __:6z JOHN FUNCK O
Chief, Rule - making, Directives and Editing Branch
-g Division of Administrative Services CD Office of Administration, Mail - stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 Please, do not renew the operating license of the aged and poorly maintained Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. I am particularly concerned about the following environmental and safety issues and impacts:
The high danger of the the long term storage of thousands of tons of highly toxic nuclear waste on the banks of the Hudson River, currently housed in poorly maintained spent fuel pools and "dry casks" that are vulnerable to terrorist attack. All right in the middle of many millions of fine The slaughter of billions of fish, eggs and larvae every year that results from Indian Point's outdated cooling water intake system, which uses billions of gallons of Hudson River water every day to keep the plant operating.
The killing of short nose and Atlantic sturgeon when they are trapped against the cooling water intake screens. short nose sturgeon are listed as an endangered species under the feder-al Endangered Species Act.
The continuing leak of radioactive water from the Indian Point 2 spent fuel pool into the groundwater and Hudson River, and the residual contamination caused by the plumes of contaminated groundwater that slowly leach toxic strontium-90 and cesium-1 37 into the Hudson River.
New Leak Containing Tritium Found at Indian Point On Sunday February 15, 2009, a worker at Indian Point, who inadvertently found himself standing in a puddle of water, discovered a pipe leaking several feet underground. The pipe had been leaking water contaminated with dangerous levels of tritium at a rate of approximately 18 gallons per minute for more than five days. As a result, more than 100,000 gallons of highly contaminated water were discharged from the plant into the Hudson River.
Indian Point's ability to prevent, or even detect, such apparent and destructive plant deteriora-tion, is a key concern that needs resolution in the license renewal proceeding relating to the plant's aging infrastructure.
If you are going to place the many millions of local residences lives into danger by renewing the Indian Point License, please upgrade its current design-basis threat level to require nuclear power plants to be able to defend against a 9 /1i-type terrorist attack. According to U.S.
CERTIFIED INTEGRATIVE HEALTH & NUTRITION COUNSELOR GRADUATE OF THE INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION, ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF DRUGLESS PRACTITIONERS 43 CUTLER LANE, GARRISON, NEW YORK 10524 3918, PHONE 845 424 6017, EMAILJOHNFUNCK@OPTONLINE.NET 6~*7 P
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intelligence sources, U.S. nuclear power plants were origiri'ally chosen as targets during the planning of the 9/1 1 attacks, and they remain terrorist targets today. The 9/I1 Commission found that as recently as June 1 6, 2004 nuclear power plants remained top al Qaeda targets. During an interview on Meet the Press with Tim Russert (December 4, 2005), Thomas Kean, Chair of the 9-1 ] Commission, noted that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has done "something that's totally inadequate" in making a risk assessment for U.S. nuclear power plants and chemical plants, concluding that DHS "doesn't set the priorities out, it just sets basically vague guidelines what the priorities should be."
Riverkeeper's concerns have been compounded by two government reports that suggest that high-level radioactive fuel waste is not properly safeguarded. The first, released in April 2005 by the.National Academy of Sciences (NAS), calls for a plant-by-plant examination of the fuel storage pools at nuclear power reactors because the material stored is a vulnerable terrorist target and that a successful strike could result in lethal radioactive emissions. The second disturbing revelation comes from a report by the General Accountability Office (GAO), also released in April 2005. It charges that the federal government, the NRC, and nuclear power plant owners have failed to implement and enforce accountability measures for high-level radioactive waste currently stored onsite in spent fuel pools. Since 2000, three nuclear power plant operators, including Entergy, have "lost" high-level radioactive fuel rods.
In January 2006, Riverkeeper filed public comments with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in response to the Committee to Bridge the Gap's petition for Rule - making which calls for enhanced security regulations at our nation's nuclear power plants. Riverkeeper requested enhanced protections to guard against air attacks and urged the construction of "Beamhenge" shields to guard sensitive reactor structures from air attacks. Moreover, Riverkeeper urged enhanced protection against waterborne attacks. For example, the present "exclusion zone" around Indian Point, as well as other regional reactors located on waterbodies, are marked by buoys or floating "no-trespassing" signs and are not impenetrable.
You must handle this risk with care and respect for human well being.
Please... help us by closing this plant down or by truly making it safe from the high risk we are now in.
°-ak for taog intelligent action.
Vloha n M
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