Gone Fission: Controversial nuke plant near NYC shuts down

[turbinetree]

Source: Associated Press

By MICHAEL HILL
2 hours ago

BUCHANAN, N.Y. (AP) — Indian Point will permanently stop producing nuclear power Friday, capping a decades-long battle over a key source of electricity in the heart of New York City’s suburbs that opponents have called a threat to millions living in the densely packed region.

The retirement of the Indian Point Energy Center along the Hudson River could increase New York’s short-term reliance on natural gas plants, despite the state’s goal of reducing carbon emissions. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others who fought for its shutdown argue any benefits from the plant are eclipsed by the nightmare prospect of a major nuclear accident or a terror strike 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the city.

“There are 20 million people living within 50 miles of Indian Point and there is no way to evacuate them in case of a radiological release. And the risk of that is quite real,” said Paul Gallay, president of the environmental group Riverkeeper.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/us-news-business-government-and-politics-environment-and-nature-d11a514c2017e4683a4d50c956ff327a

[OneCrazyDiamond]

1. I kinda figured nuclear was gonna be a bridge fuel for the electric conversion.

Conservation can only take us so far, and the switch to EV will require a lot of watts.

It is kinda scary that 20 million live within 50 miles though.

[mitch96]

2. "And the risk of that is quite real" It was well known that the plant was built a mile

from a fault line. If the ground shook the plant would have taken a hit.. What were they thinking???
m

[BComplex]

3. What were they thinking?

I'll bet it had a lot to do with $$ and politics. When billions are spent, it usually does.

[FailureToCommunicate]

4. My first anti-nuke power protests were there (some with Pete Seeger leading us in...

song.) so this feels like a real life bookend.

That plant (three were eventually mostly sorta operational) was controversial and troubled from the start.

Remember Jack Lemmon exclaiming dismay about the faulty welds in the movie China Syndrome ? That's what Indian Point was riddled with.

Oh, and it was built ON the Hudson River banks and not far from some little hamlet called New York City.

[Calista241]

5. What does everyone think of Bill Gates's nuclear power company TerraPower?

Supposedly they can use current nuclear waste building up everywhere for power generation, for like 100 years.

And they say they're completely safe, meaning if you just cut power to the reactor, it shuts down with no further interaction, unlike what happened at Fukushima.

[IbogaProject]

6. Issue is proximity to most dense population in USA

This thing was just too close to NYC and all of its suburbs. Issue is still the cooldown wich takes years on top of the eons for the waste to degrade. Uranium fission was never a sane option, the professionals knew Thorium was a much better route but the coldward bugs loved it being the same technology as for weapons.

[IbogaProject]

7. I am ok with automatic shutdown tech

I am ok with automatic shutdown tech to use up all the first generation fuel. As the waste is so toxic with an insane long duration of decay.

[cinematicdiversions]

8. I have no problem shutting down this plant.

But we really need to look at more modern nuclear plants if we are going to come anywhere close to our Climate goals.

[Duppers]

9. Yes! 👍

Plus, every building's roof should have an array of solar panels. And yep, their materials are expensive.

[truthisfreedom]

10. Units 2 and 3 were built in 1966 and 1968 respectively. That makes them 55 and 53 years old...

It's high time for them to be decommissioned. We need to get rid of these old nukes.

I really wish we had molten salt reactors running already. They've been put off for too long.