WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D, NY17) grilled NRC Chairman
Stephen Burns during a congressional hearing Wednesday about the Indian
Point leak of water from three monitoring wells.
NRC and Entergy officials have said the Indian Point owner company was
not required to report the leak last weekend because the levels of tritium
were below federal danger levels.
There are three resident NRC inspectors at the facility at all times,
but Lowey grilled Burns about when and how they learned of the leaks.
“It wouldn’t be incumbent upon them to identify a leak; they
have to wait until someone tells them. Is that correct,” Lowey said
to Burns.
The NRC chairman responded that, “Unless they had observed it directly
themselves, after all the operator is responsible for the operations within
the license requirements and is ultimately responsible for the safety
of the plant.”
Lowey said Indian Point has had at least three water leaks containing
tritium since 2005 and that the NRC “is turning a blind eye”
to the situation at the power plant.
