Watch CBS News

NRC: Indian Point On Track For License Renewal

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Federal regulators have updated an environmental study of the Indian Point nuclear plant and still conclude there's no reason to shut the plant down.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a supplement to a 2010 study Tuesday. That study found Indian Point's impact is not great enough to deny a new 20-year license.

"We have not changed our overall assessment of whether the plant should have its license renewed for another 20 years. The NRC staff at this point, it would still recommend in favor of the plant having a license extension," NRC spokesman Neal Sheehan told WCBS 880.

The NRC's staff considered new data about aquatic life in the Hudson River around the two reactors.

The staff found there would be only a small impact on endangered sturgeon.

"The effects of fish being drawn into the piping used to take water from the Hudson River for cooling purposes of the plant impacts on sturgeon - Atlantic sturgeon and Shortnose sturgeon - that might be affected by the plant's operations," Sheehan told WCBS 880.

It found a significant decline in the estimated number of organisms that would be sucked into the plant with river water used for cooling.

And it found the plant's warm-water discharge would have no noticeable effect on river life.

License hearings continue, and opponents can challenge the findings.

The NRC said the plant operated safely in 2012.

Indian Point's application for a 20-year renewal will not be decided on for at least a year, the NRC announced in May.

Opponents have long called for the shutdown of the nuclear plant, citing its location in a huge population center.

The push for Indian Point's closure grew louder in the aftermath of Japan's 2011 Fukushima earthquake and ensuing nuclear meltdown.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for the closure of Indian Point.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.