Research Reveals Failure to Address the Plant’s Disproportionate Effects on People of Color, People with Low-Incomes, Disabilities and/or Limited Mobility

WHAT:  Clearwater has gathered evidence it will submit as testimony the NRC must consider in the relicensing process that demonstrates that the NRC and Entergy failed to address the environmental justice impacts of relicensing, and that Indian Point’s continued operation disproportionately threatens the safety of the very young, the very old, lower-income and minority residents, and people with disabilities and/or limited mobility.

WHERE AND WHEN:  Clearwater witnesses are due to deliver testimony today, October 23, 2012, between 2:00 – 6:00PM

WHO:  Experts and residents scheduled to speak will address the environmental justice impacts of Indian Point and some of the particular threats it poses to low-income, minority, institutionalized and public transportation-dependent populations living near the plant. While the independent Witt Report found Indian Point’s evacuation planning inadequate to protect public health and safety in general, within that, the fact that specific populations are particularly and disproportionately underserved or not served at all by current emergency planning violates provisions of National Environmental Policy Act. Among the witnesses speaking on this today and available for interviews are:

  • Michael Edelstein – Professor of environmental psychology at New Jersey’s Ramapo College and expert will provide testimony on environmental justice (EJ) impacts on prison population.
  •  Steve Filler — Attorney and Board member, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, will focus on Westchester and Rockland evacuation plans.
  • Manna Jo Greene — Environmental Director, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, who conducted extensive research on the disproportionate negative impacts of Indian Point on environmental justice populations living near the plant, will focus on EJ      populations in institutions (Head Start, day care centers, nursing homes, homeless shelters, hospitals, and those without private cars).
  • Dolores Guardado – Representative of Peekskill Hispanic/Spanish-speaking community.
  • Andrew Kanter, MD — Chair of New York State Physicians for Social Responsibility, will focus on special needs of people with medical issues, Fukushima lessons learned, and New York City EJ and evacuation issues.
  • Erik Larsen, MD — White Plains Emergency Medical Director, who treated a patient who was injured and suffered radiation contamination at Indian Point, will focus on our lack of capacity to treat those exposed to radiation in an emergency.
  • Aaron Mair — Environmental justice expert and founder and executive director of Arbor Hill Environmental Justice Corporation, longtime leader in the environmental justice movement, former long-time Peekskill resident, and longtime leader in the EJ movement.
  • Tony Papa –  A former inmate  in Sing Sing prison — about eight miles from Indian Point — on a  first-time drug possession offense, now a drug law reform advocate and     author, will focus on the lack of provision for  protecting or evacuating people who are incarcerated or institutionalized.
  • John Simms – An assisted living facility resident, will focus on the lack of provision for protecting or evacuating elderly people with  disabilities.

To request a copy of the written testimony or interviews with residents and experts about environmental justice impacts of Indian Point, contact Manna Jo Greene, 845 265–8080, ext. 7113, or MannaJo@Clearwater.org.