On Tuesday, the Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the Indian Point nuclear power facility will be the top priority of the federal government's Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He emphasized this point by noting that it's not "a priority," but the "top priority," as promised to Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy during a phone call.
During his press conference, Cuomo reiterated his position on the nuclear facility, which is that Indian Point is risky and should not operated.
He articulated his contention with the NRC, arguing that he believes their authorization procedures are not stringent enough, as they haven't evolved over time and do not fully reexamine the whole facility each year.
Going forward, Cuomo revealed that the big concern for Indian Point is the seismic risk, which has become a major concern in the wake of the devastating impact a earthquake had on a Japanese nuclear facility. The governor highlighted the fact that he has been focused on this threat since 2007, as evident by a letter he shared that he had written to the NRC in 2007. "This is not a new situation. It is not a new issue," concluded Cuomo.
If the governor does get his way with the Indian Point facility, this will create a major power vacuum for New York city, which he said would be replaceable. When pressed on where that power would come from, though, Cuomo said it could be found, even if there aren't any plans to find replacement power in the works.
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