PEEKSKILL – Saying that
a full environmental review of the impacts of closing the Indian Point
nuclear power plant was not conducted, Westchester County Executive Robert
Astorino announced on Wednesday that he wants to sue to keep it open or
delay its closure.
He argues that Governor Cuomo’s “secret deal” with Entergy
and Riverkeeper cannot move forward because the environmental review was
not conducted.
“Whether you are for nuclear power or against it, there is no debate
that the public had a right to know about the impact of closing Indian
Point before the deal was reached by three men in a room,” Astorino
said. “If our laws are to have any meaning at all, then the process
has to be fair, open, and reviewable.”
Astorino said an environmental impact statement on the closure of IP would
determine the financial toll stemming from the loss of billions of dollars
in economic activity, millions in annual property tax revenues and thousands
of jobs; expected increases in utility bills as the result of the loss
of 25 percent of the electricity currently used to supply customers in
Westchester and New York City; the credibility of plans to replace the
lost source of energy; new public health and societal risks associated
with CO2 emissions from replacing zero-emission nuclear power with fossil-fuels;
and the environmental and financial consequences of leaving behind “a
nuclear-waste cemetery for the entombment of spent fuel rods for at least
60 years.”
Buchanan Village Mayor Theresa Knickebocker, said closing the plant located
in her municipality will have a significant adverse impact on village
taxpayers because the facility’s payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement
amounts to $3 million, roughly half of the village’s property tax
levy.”
She said the impact to the village would be “staggering” and
adding insult to injury, the village received no advanced warning from
the state.
Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina said the city backs the lawsuit 100 percent.
John Hochreiter, superintendent of the local school district – Hendrick
Hudson – said the impact of the closure was felt immediately, “so
much so that we abandoned our plans to move forward with a $14 million
capital improvement referendum.”
Astorino needs county Board of Legislators’ approval to move forward
with legal action. Legislator John Testa, who represents the area, said
he supports the lawsuit. “The consequences couldn’t be more
serious. Putting this before the court means the issues can be reviewed
in a thorough manner before an impartial umpire.”
Marsha Gordon, president of the Business Council of Westchester, said
the “economic and environmental impacts of an early shutdown of
Indian Point must be thoroughly evaluated and the state must come forward
with policy and programs to mitigate the impacts on the local economy,
tax base and electric consumers.”
