Environmental Advocates
For Immediate Release:
November 11, 2000
Contact:
Kyle Rabin -
Environmental Advocates
On
Thursday, Entergy Corporation announced that it had reached an agreement to
purchase the Indian Point 1 (permanently closed in 1974) and 2 (shutdown since
mid February) nuclear plants from Con Edison. Jerry Yelverton, chief executive
officer of Entergy’s nuclear division, believes that his company will bring a
new business ethnic to its operation of New York’s nuclear power plants. But, a
closer look at the Louisiana-based corporation’s record, suggests there is no
guarantee that nuclear safety will be improved.
With
the restructuring of New York’s nuclear power industry, we are witnessing the
transfer of plant ownership from Tweedledee to tweedledum,” said Kyle Rabin,
nuclear energy policy director for Environmental Advocates. “Entergy’s faux pas
down south put to shame Con Edison’s blunders in New York,” said Rabin. Since
1994, Entergy Nuclear Inc. has been cited by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
for 29 violations and slapped with 10 fines totaling more than $632,500 for
problems at four of its reactors down south. And during the summer of 1999,
Entergy Corp. was the only U.S. utility that had to order rolling blackouts,
which affected 565,000 customers in four states. Entergy ordered the blackouts
because nine of their fossil-fueled power plants were completely or partially
shut down for maintenance problems, which critics attributed to Entergy’s
cost-cutting practices and a reduced, less-skilled work force. Two years
earlier Entergy had been fined $9 million by the Texas Department of Public
Utility Control, for its poor maintenance practices. “If Entergy could not improve its game down south, why should New
York expect anything different from Entergy with respect to its operation of
nuclear plants?” said Rabin.
Exposing
nuclear power to the rigors of marketplace competition could have long-term
consequences for public health and safety, the economic well being of several
local communities, and the quality of sensitive environmental resources.
“Governor Pataki must stop the sale of New York’s nuclear power plants until
the appropriate state agencies determine that public health and safety will not
be jeopardized,” Rabin stated.
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