Westchester Exec Jenkins Comes Out In Opposition To Reopening Of Indian Point Nuclear Plant

Press release from the Westchester County Government:

A reboot of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is not welcome in Westchester County. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins has requested that the Westchester County Board of Legislators adopt an act declaring the County’s strong opposition to the reopening of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan.

Jenkins said: “Opening this plant again is a hard no. New York State has access to low-cost, environmentally conscious energy alternatives including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower – we don’t need or want Indian Point Back. The health and safety of millions of residents in the Hudson Valley is worth more than any power plant. That is why I support Governor Kathy Hochul’s initiative that supports nuclear power plants in New York, but excludes New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley in that plan.”

Indian Point, which operated since 1962, closed on April 30, 2021, following decades of public concern about the environmental and public safety risks posed by the plant. Under the terms of the 2021 Joint Proposal on Indian Point’s decommissioning, Holtec International, the company responsible for decommissioning, agreed not to propose the siting of new nuclear reactors at the site without the explicit support of local government entities, including Westchester County, and the State.

Jenkins said: “Even years after its closure, inspections have identified radiological substances in the Hudson River and cesium isotopes in surface soil, highlighting the ongoing environmental hazards of this site. We have been through this once and we still are feeling the impacts, and we are not doing it again. We absolutely do not support reactivating a facility that continues to pose a threat to our community and our environment.”

This press release was produced by the Westchester County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.