Pro/Con: Indian Point
Entergy and the Nuclear Energy Institute, the lobbying group for the nuclear power industry, released the report “Economic Impacts of the Indian Point Energy Center,” urging us to ignore public safety and the environment, and instead focus on its economic value.
You don’t get to operate an unsafe or polluting machine, why should Entergy be allowed to because it claims it has economic value? Your car must be inspected every year, and if it doesn’t pass you can’t operate it. You could lose your job and then be unable to feed your family or pay for your housing, and no one cares about the economic value of your car.
Wisely, we all agree what is most important is whether or not your car is a threat to people and the environment. These are also the sole concerns of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as stated in their mission statement:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created as an independent agency by Congress in 1974 to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while protecting people and the environment.
