Poll Shows Half Of Residents Living Near Indian Point In Buchanan OK With Plant
BUCHANAN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A poll shows nearly half the residents living near the Indian Point nuclear power plant in the lower Hudson Valley oppose shutting it down as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has suggested.
The NY1-YNN-Marist College poll released Tuesday night shows 49 percent of the adults living nearby are against closing it. Another
40 percent favor shutdown, while 11 percent are unsure.
LINK: Click here to see the full NY1-YNN-Marist College poll
The poll results are from 306 interviews from July 28 to the 31 in New York City and six counties around Indian Point and claims a margin of error of 6 percentage points.
The Cuomo administration has made it clear it wants Indian Point shut down, saying there is simply too much at stake with two nuclear reactors just 35 miles north of New York City.
"I'm not against nuclear power but I am against nuclear power in this plant in this location with this density in Westchester County, with its proximity to New York City," Cuomo said.
Entergy, the company that owns Indian Point, has said its reactors are safe from all types of possible disasters.
"We have conditions for earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding" said Entergy Senior Vice President Ken Theobalds.
The two reactors in Buchanan provide about a quarter of the power used in New York City and Westchester County.
A new draft study for the city predicts energy costs and pollution would increase without Indian Point.
Licenses for the two reactors expire in 2013 and 2015.
If they are not renewed, industry insiders say the plant would probably switch to natural gas.
What do you think of the poll results? Do you think Indian Point in safe? Sound off below in our comments section...
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