Entergy, Indian Point Lying Again...Have No Intent of Meeting August 24th Siren Deadline

Entergy has known for quite some time now (notified NRC in May) that they will not be able to meet the August 24th Siren system deadline. Question is, will the NRC start fining them on a daily basis, or instead bend over backwards and MODIFY their order in a fashion that gives Indian Point more time to comply? Sure we will know where we stand on Friday...this from a July document from the NRC:

Pursuant to section 223 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, any person who willfully violates, attempts to violate, or conspires to violate, any provision of this Order shall be subject to criminal prosecution as set forth in that section. Violations of this Order will result in additional enforcement action. Also, the requirements of this Order may be modified or relaxed by the Director, Office of Enforcement, where good cause is shown, such as implementation delays that clearly were not under the control of Entergy. In addition, the NRC has been verbally informed by Entergy that some additional time beyond August 24, 2007, may be needed to place the new ENS in service, and that if so, Entergy would supplement its May 23, 2007 response to the NOV. NRC will review Entergy’s supplemental response, if submitted, and may modify or relax this Order, if appropriate, as provided in the enclosed Order.

Counties Will Not Get Entergy Fines-Maybe Congressman Hall Should Introduce A Bill So They Do?

In their usual fashion, the NRC has issued a letter denying a request by the four counties, that have to absorb the costs of having Entergy forced upon us, which would have funneled the most recent $130,000 fine for non-working alarm systems down to the local level. They claim they have no authorization for such a move, that they are required to place the money in their own United States Treasury account. Seems to me, that Congressman John Hall needs to introduce a bill that would funnel all money collected in fines back into the local communities. The other option, the NRC should have their yearly federal tax payers budget reduced by the amount of fines collected from these violations.

NRC: Indian Point fines won't go to county coffers

By GREG CLARY
THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original Publication: June 12, 2007)

WHITE PLAINS - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected Westchester County's request that Indian Point's $130,000 fine for failing to install emergency sirens on time be spread among the four counties within 10 miles of the nuclear reactors to defray emergency preparation costs.

"It's government 1, the people 0," said Susan Tolchin, chief adviser to Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano. The NRC was "right to give Entergy a penalty on this, but the bottom line is, funnel that money to the counties whose taxpayers are paying for emergency services."

The federal nuclear regulators fined Entergy Nuclear Northeast, the owner of Indian Point, for missing its April 15 deadline to install a new emergency alert system.The company has since vowed to have the sirens operating by August. In the mean time, residents of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Orange counties must rely on a decades-old set of 156 sirens with a spotty performance record in the past two years.

Indian Point's siren system is used to alert residents of an emergency atthe plant and to signal them to check their televisions or radios for further instructions.The 150 new sirens, which will have backup battery power and can be sounded through cell antennas or radio systems, eventually will replace the existing system.

In a letter dated Friday, Cynthia Carpenter, director of the NRC's Office of Enforcement, said the agency was required to deposit the fine money into the U.S. Treasury rather than send it to local governments." The NRC does not have the authority to redirect such funds for non appropriated programs," Carpenter wrote to Anthony Sutton, Westchester County's commissioner of emergency services. "As such, the NRC is unable to honor your request.

"NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the agency has no latitude on the issue because of the federal Miscellaneous Receipts Act, which controls how money paid to the U.S. government must be handled." The Miscellaneous Receipts Act is designed to guarantee that Congress retains control of the public purse," Sheehan said. "It would take legislation to allow us to do this, and there isn't anything pending."

Tolchin said that the county would talk to its congressional representatives, who had already voiced their support of local municipalities receiving the fine money. Entergy officials reiterated yesterday that the discussion of who ultimately gets the fine money doesn't involve them. Sutton pressed the NRC in his May 15 letter to follow precedent that has allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to direct money elsewhere, but Sheehan said his agency's research showed that those transactions have not involved third parties.

Demand Closure of Indian Point Until Siren System Functions

As was predicted, Entergy is submitting a letter to the NRC asking again for more time to get the Siren System up and running. We need to call, write letters, fax and send email to the NRC opposing this request, and demanding the reactors be shut down until such time as the siren system has recieved its passing grade.

CONTACTS
Region I (Philadelphia):
610-337-5330
Diane Screnci, Neil A. Sheehan

Online Email Form

Entergy asks NRC for siren activation start up delay

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/IP_sirens-13Apr07.html

One of the new sirens
Buchanan – Entergy, the company that owns the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan, Friday will ask the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an extension on the timetable it needs to have its new emergency warning siren system up and running.

It was supposed to be turned on this weekend in the 10-mile warning radius around the plants; however, the last of three test sounds Thursday ended with poor results including the failure of all of the sirens in Putnam County, said Entergy spokesman James Steets.

“It seems that we are having trouble with the radio communications aspects where the microwaves and transmission through the topography there just isn’t getting to a receiver and sorting out the data, which would then activate the sirens,” he said. “Our contractor is working diligently on that.”

Senator Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, said the failure of over 30 sirens is “extremely troubling.” She said the failures are “deeply alarming,” particularly in light of a fire and shutdown of the Indian Point Unit 3 facility last week.

As a result of the poor test results, Entergy will formally apply for an extension from the NRC on placing the new system into service. This is the second extension being sought. In January, Entergy sought and was granted an extension until April 15.

Steets said the work to resolve the problems could take two weeks; however, a specific timetable is unclear at this time.

The company said it will also address during the requested extension a concern raised by FEMA relating to the volume of the sirens.