Concerned with Public Safety, Maloney Calls for Suspension of Indian Point Unit 2, Immediate Review of Unit 3

Buchanan, NY — Following public safety concerns regarding faulty baffle bolts found in Indian Point Energy Center’s Unit 2, Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) called for a halt to efforts to restart Unit 2 until a more comprehensive review of the faulty bolts could be completed. Additionally, he called for an inspection of Unit 3. In a letter dated June 17th, Maloney called on the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to require Indian Point to discontinue use of Unit 2 until a root cause analysis that included metallurgical testing on the failed bolts was completed.  

“First and foremost we must take any safety concerns very seriously - reports of faulty baffle bolts are only the latest in a long line of incidents that show the facility is just too risky,” said Maloney. “Indian Point has no place in the long-term future of the Hudson Valley. It’s time to start winding down operations and shifting energy production to safer sources.”

"We don't know what caused the degradation of the Unit 2 reactor's baffle bolts. It may be radiation, it may be thermal stress, or it may be corrosion. If the NRC doesn't know the root cause of this failure and will not know for months, what are they doing re-opening this reactor in the near term?" said Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay.

Since joining Congress, Rep. Maloney has called for an end to operations at Indian Point responsibly, which includes safeguarding the jobs of those who work there and keeping energy prices low. On March 29, Entergy, the corporation which owns the Indian Point Nuclear Energy Center, notified the NRC of an internal review which found that 227 of 832 baffle bolts, which are crucial to the plant’s safety, were degraded or missing. In response, Rep. Maloney sent a letter to NRC Chairman Stephen Burns. A copy of the letter can be found here and the full text is below.

Dear Chairman Burns,

I write regarding my strong concern with restarting operations at Indian Point Unit 2 without having completed a comprehensive root cause analysis that includes metallurgical testing of the failed baffle bolts. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I urge you to keep unit 2 offline until such an analysis can be completed. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to immediately conduct a safety review to determine the status of baffle bolts at Indian Point Unit 3.  

As you know, 227 of the 832 baffle bolts that hold the inner walls of the Indian Point Unit 2 core together were found to be missing or damaged. The plant’s owner, Entergy, in a report to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission admitted this to be a condition that significantly degrades plant safety.

The situation is extremely serious and represents a nearly unprecedented public safety hazard for an American nuclear facility.  Leading experts have warned that degraded baffle bolts could result in a lack of structural stability in the reactor. This could lead to a major, catastrophic disaster that we must do all we can to prevent.

This is just the most recent episode in over a decade of dangerous activity at Indian Point, from security lapses to serious safety violations. Simply put, there is no margin for error. While operational, Indian Point must be held to the absolute highest safety standards. That’s why a comprehensive root cause analysis of Unit 2 is so important, as is a safety review of Unit 3. The millions of people living and working within miles of the plant deserve nothing less.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this extremely urgent and important matter. 

Sincerely,

Sean Patrick Maloney

Member of Congress