2019 Regional Nuclear Decommissioning Forum

Thursday, October 10
Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY

On Thursday, October 10, Clearwater organized a forum on decommissioning nuclear power plants at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library. The forum was sponsored by NYS Senator Peter Harckham, NYS Assemblymember Sandy Galef, who offered welcoming remarks, and Westchester County Legislator Catherine Borgia, who moderated a panel of representatives of Nuclear Reactor Communities, including Mayor Billy McKinney from Zion, IL, Ret. Admiral Len Hering from San Infra, CA, Janet Tauro from Oyster Creek, and others — each sharing their first-hand experience with the decommissioning of closed or closing nuclear reactors. A panel of experts on nuclear waste storage and decommissioning issues followed. With Indian Point Unit-2 scheduled to close next year and Unit-3 in 2021, this timely informational meeting brought important relevant knowledge and experience to local, county, state and federal elected officials and other decision-makers. The event was free and open to the public, and attended by many elected officials and nearly one hundred local citizens.

Agenda

Welcoming Remarks
NY State Assembly Member Sandy Galef

Panel of Representatives of Nuclear Reactor Communities

Moderator: Catherine Borgia, Westchester County Legislator

Panelist were asked about the status of decommissioning at the facilities in their community, the size and use of the Decommissioning Trust Fund, the effectiveness of the Citizen Advisory Board (CAB) or Panel (CAP), Emergency Planning after closure, and related topics – with emphasis on what worked and what did not. Seth Tuler, Research Fellow, Social and Environmental Research Institute, provided a report on Citizen Advisory Boards (CAB), Citizen Oversight Boards (COB) and Nuclear Decommissioning Panels (NDCAP) – see handouts below, which is attached.

Panelists

(See bios for more information)

  • VT Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee — Deb Katz, Citizen Awareness Network (photos)
  • Three Mile Island – Eric Epstein, Three Mile Island Alert (notes)
  • Pilgrim, MA – Mary Lampert, Pilgrim Watch (slides) (response to questions)
  • Zion, IL – Mayor Billy McKinney, City of Zion
  • Oyster Creek, NJ — Janet Tauro, Clean Water Action of NJ (response to questions)
  • San Onofre, CA – Rear Admiral Len Hering, Sr. USN (Ret.), safety expert (via teleconference)

Panel of Experts on Decommissioning Issues:

(See bios for more information)

  • Casks, Canisters & High Burnup Fuel – Robert Alvarez, Senior Scholar, Institute for Policy Studies (slides)
  • Transportation of Casks to CIS or Other Repository – Marvin Resnikoff, Senior Associate, Radioactive Waste Management Associates (slides)
  • Radiation Monitoring — Eric Epstein of EFMR Monitoring Group (slides)
  • Decommissioning Trust Funds – Robert Alvarez covered this topic
  • Legislative Update – Diane D’Arrigo, Nuclear Information Resource Service (NIRS) (teleconference)

Q & A: Moderator: Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Director, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.

Overview of Decommissioning Companies: Holtec, Orano and Energy Solutions

Nuclear Decommissioning Specialists: Quick and Dirty, or Lean and Clean? by Stephen Kent, skent@kentcom.com

Video Coverage by Nuclear Energy TV

Videos of these presentations and interviews with Mayor Billy McKinney, Eric Epstein and Paul Blanch can be found here on NuclearEnergyTV.com.

On Oct. 17, NuclearEnergyTV.com also filmed the NRC’s pre-submittal proceedings by Entergy and Holtec for the license transfer application for Indian Point facility. During the Q&A portion of the meeting, Geri Shapiro of Senator Gillibrand’s office recommended that all present should view the videos from the Oct. 10 Regional Nuclear Decommissioning Forum.

Handouts:

Other Resources:

Sponsors:

  • Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
  • NYS Assembly Member Sandy Galef
  • NYS Senator Peter Harckham
  • Westchester County Legislator Catherine Borgia.

With special thanks to Library Director Jill Davis and Business Manager Jenny Kolesar of the Hendrick Hudson Free Library for their tireless support and hospitality.

Special thanks also to the Jack and Belle Alpern Foundation for making this event possible.

For further information: Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Director, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater: mannajo@clearwater.org 845-265-8080 x 7113