WASHINGTON, DC – Local, state and federal officials were briefed today on the source of the leak at the Indian Point 2 power plant.  Plant operator, Entergy, also conducted a tour of some areas of the facility.  Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) issued the following statement on the meeting:

“I am very upset that Entergy and the Nuclear Regulator Commission (NRC) did not inform local officials about the leak in the spent fuel pool and the presence of radioactive material outside of the spent fuel pool sooner.   While today’s meeting could be an indication of a more open dialogue between the plant operators and the community, I remain concerned about how this situation was handled from the beginning. 

“NRC must provide independent oversight of Indian Point to ensure that local officials and the public have accurate and up-to-date information on any potential health and safety risks.  The continued failure of Entergy to provide timely information about this leak and other safety concerns at the plants gives the community little confidence that we would be notified in the event of a larger, more dangerous problem at Indian Point."