Senator Morahan: Rocklanders Endangered As Result Of Indian Point Siren Failures

Senator Thomas P. Morahanissued a very strong statement in reaction to the recentfailureof 18 Indian Point Warning sirens which were located in the towns of Ramapo and Clarkstown. .

Key personnel from Rockland County's Office of Fire and Emergency Services described the nature of the computer glitch to the senator, a failure which placed tens of thousands of residents without a warning system to alert them about impending dangers from the nearby nuclear plant in Buchanan.

After his briefing by emergency officials, Senator Morahan directed blame at FEMA, the NRC as well as Entergy :

"As a Rocklander, I am outraged that FEMA has failed to address a problem for which it has had advanced knowledge. They have known about the failure of the Indian Point Siren system. Just as FEMA failed our neighbors on the Gulf Coast, at the critical period before Katrina totally enveloped that area, FEMA and the NRC have failed to communicate to Entergy the urgency of maintaining a working siren system. One would have thought FEMA would have welcomed an opportunity to redeem its tarnished reputation. Both federal agencies had previously given me assurances that they would actively monitor Indian Point's siren system. In addition to the plant's operator, I hold NRC and FEMA responsible for the failure of the siren system, and for putting my constituents at risk. Just as they did in the case of Katrina, FEMA, once again has sat on its hands, as a faulty siren system failed. Ramapo and Clarkstown families were clearly rendered vulnerable to any dangers that might have generated from the Indian Point Nuclear Facility."

#####