Mission Electric-The Power is ours is a forum that was organized by the Stony Point 55, a coalition of concerned environmental activists and organizations regarding the catastrophic dangers in waiting if operations at the Indian Point plant continue in the lower Hudson Valley of New York.
The plant is owned and operated by Entergy Nuclear Northeast, a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation and is under fierce opposition from environmentalists and policy makers from diverse circles that have voiced their concern against relicensing a 40 year operating permit that is scheduled to expire in 2014.
The Indian Power plant is in no better shape than other nuclear power plants from around the world that have encountered disastrous incidents in their operations. Lessons from Fukushima attest to the fact that a potential nuclear disaster is in our backyard and unfortunately, we may not have enough time to convince the regulatory frameworks mandated to manage the continuity of this dangerous undertaking to shut the plant right now.
In a tireless endeavor to expedite the pace at which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is moving to engage the voice of environmental activists and the New York community at large, a Mission Electric-The Power is Ours Forum brought together experts and other practitioners to speak to the matter and demonstrate what an alternative energy shift would look like.
The presenters included Andy Spano, former Westchester County Executive, Ron Leonard, renewable energy expert, Tom Kacandes, former economic developer for Empire State Corporation, Frank Pinto, retired United Nations Senior Environmental Policy Expert, Tim Judson, Board member, Citizens Awareness Network, Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Director for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
According to the experts, there are enough safe energy alternatives that can be embarked on. Further, there is more than adequate supply of energy sources that can replace the continuation of a near disaster time bomb in waiting at the Indian Power plant.
This forum was co sponsored by: Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Citizens Awareness Network, SDIPN, and Connie Hogarth Centre for Social Action at Manhattanville College, Rockland Sierra Club, NYPIRG, Hudson Valley Fellowship of Reconciliation, Rockland Water Coalition, and Stony Point Center.
By Spencer Chiimbwe: Stony Point Resident Volunteer and part of the Stony Point 55.
