US nuclear plant with greatest risk from earthquake is in... New York
Indian Point
One of the nuclear reactors at the Indian Point power plant on the Hudson tops the list of US reactors at greatest risk from an earthquake, according to estimates by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The risk of the one reactor (there are three on site) being damaged is 1 in 10,000 each year, the NRC figures (the odds of the other reactors being damaged are much higher). [msnbc.com]
Andrew Cuomo responded to the report this afternoon. From his remarks:
I've had concerns about Indian Point for a long time... I understand the power and the benefit. I also understand the risk. This plant in this proximity to New York City was never a good risk. But this is new information that we're going to pursue. [State of Politics]
Indian Point is about 30 miles north of New York City (map). It's a little less than 100 miles from Albany.
Earthquakes aren't really all that uncommon in New York State. There was the relatively strong one centered in Ottawa that we felt here last summer (there was one not far from the New York border just today). And there's been a series of tiny quakes in the hill towns of Albany County the last few years.
Here's more about the history of earthquakes in New York State.
[via NY Mag]
image: Flickr user Tony the Misfit
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New Yorkers will need to sign a petition to close the Indian power plant Trojan horse; thereby, avoiding an impending catastrophe similar to the current calamity in in Japan.
Even if New York is relatively safe from earthquakes of magnitude 6, 7, 8, or 9+, certain hazard like direct strike to the reactors by meteorites, comets, aviation disaster, typhoon, tsunami, human errors or even terrorist attack might have the same end result like the nuclear reactors meltdown in Fukushima, Japan.
This is not a "witch-hunt" against the nuclear industry and nuclear reactors; past and current periculous nuclear incidents dictate that we should err in the side of prudence.
http://www.lutins.org/nukes.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/nukelist1.htm
http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/environment/nuclearplants.html
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... said Pierre F. Lherisson on Mar 17, 2011 at 7:15 AM | link
I lived something like 10 miles from Indian Point years ago, and still remember that there were fallout/radiation evac signs nailed to all the telephone poles in our neighborhood because of it.
... said ajw93 on Mar 17, 2011 at 8:30 AM | link
Andrew Cuomo said more in that one sentence yesterday than Obama has since last Friday. Where is Obama on this crisis? The first radioactive plume hits the West Coast tomorrow- right about the time the Bammster leaves for South America. Bammy is a failure and the liberal sheep of the capital region need to wake up to the fraud occupying the White House.
Secretary Chu yesterday said Americans should be 80 miles away from Fukishima. 80 miles is how far Albany is from Vermont Yankee's Mark 1.
... said Jeff S on Mar 17, 2011 at 8:56 AM | link
Jeff S- Obama's probably too busy trying to re-assure the nuclear industry that we the taxpayers would definitely pay for all the cleanup if something like that happened here and they would not be on the hook for anything. Oh and we'll guarantee their loans too.
How so many people who claim to care about the environment can so blindly support Obama and the Democratic faction is beyond me.
... said Wiero on Mar 17, 2011 at 9:54 AM | link
Jeff, don't buy into the doom & gloom hype about a fallout cloud.
There is no "deadly radiation".
There is no "mass exodus" of Japanese.
Even if there were a "radioactive plume", weather patterns would not bring it to the west coast.
There's a lot of fearmongering. Look for reliable sources, get the facts, please don't spread misinformation.
... said B on Mar 17, 2011 at 9:59 AM | link
For those who don't know, B is my leading critic and I respect him for that. He keeps me honest. Okay- let's assume I am fearmongering misinformation which is also true. I appreciate your very academic approach to the argument by providing three links and a bonus. Great. Q: So with a global record of governments over the last 60 years covering up radiation data, at what point did you decide today was going to be the moment when they would tell us the truth?
... said Jeff S on Mar 17, 2011 at 11:15 AM | link
Jeff, I have no idea who you are.
But I'll take rational reports from trusted news sources over a global conspiracy.
... said B on Mar 17, 2011 at 11:32 AM | link
Here's TEPCO's helicopter fly-over video from earlier today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBXqiw6EJUk
I don't know what you want me to say.
... said Jeff S on Mar 17, 2011 at 11:39 AM | link
Jeff, it looks like I'm eating crow on this one.
I'll have to apologize. See, I have something of a personal stake in this, and I guess it's preventing me from really being objective. I have family and friends in Japan right now, so it does get to me a bit when I hear people being alarmist, contrary to what respected news sources are saying combined with what I'm hearing from the ground.
Sorry, I suppose I just shouldn't comment when it's an issue that's so close to me. I'll defer to your expert knowledge and let you speak the truth from here on out.
... said B on Mar 17, 2011 at 11:55 AM | link
It's personal for me too.
http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2011/03/15/stern-message-for-kegs-and-eggs-rioters-albany-man#comment-110365
2 local cover-up examples for you, my friend. I'm sorry for your Japanese family and I will pray for them.
... said Jeff S on Mar 17, 2011 at 12:28 PM | link
When people's lives are at stake here's what the face of a LIAR looks like:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367684/Nuclear-plant-chief-weeps-Japanese-finally-admit-radiation-leak-kill-people.html
I'm done with this story. I've made my point. You people out there need to QUESTION every piece of official data that's released to the public. We have our own issues locally. These liars are driven by their own greed and ambitions only. They don't answer to you because you don't deserve to know the truth and wouldn't know what to do with it if you did.
... said Jeff S on Mar 18, 2011 at 2:47 PM | link