Chernobyl on theHudson

In September 2004 the Union of Concerned Scientists published a report into the Indian
Point nuclear power station, located on the Hudson River 35 miles north and upwind of
Manhattan. Entitled "Chernobyl on the Hudson", the essence of the conclusions are that the
low probability of a Severe Accident (a core meltdown) is no longer sufficient justification
to permit such plants to continue operations - because the plant is so vulnerable to
terrorist attack that a determined operation would have a very high probability of causing
a core meltdown, with the ensuing loss of tens of thousands of lives.

The report analyses the scenario of a commercial aircraft being deliberately crashed into
the nuclear reactor containment building, with the additional possibility of a ground
assault to disable other safeguard systems.

It is also interesting to note that in the 1960s, some 16 nuclear reactors were ordered for
construction within 100 miles of New York. Only 5 were built. One of those ordered in
1962 (but fortunately not built) was to be located at Ravenswood, 3 miles east of
Manhattan.

Indian Point is a very controversial nuclear power plant and there is now overwhelming
evidence that cancer rates are significantly higher in the vicinity of all nuclear power
stations. Some are worse than others. A campaign is underway to prevent Indian Point
from receiving a license renewal and to force its closure.

The following table from the privately initiated Radiation and Public Health Project, which
is now the only program checking Sr90 levels in children's milk teeth in the USA, shows the
levels of certain gaseous radionucleide emissions into the atmosphere from Indian Point 3
from 2001 to 2004.

The link is http://www.radiation.org/spotlight/071112_IndianPoint.html.

Table 6
Airborne Radioactivity released from Indian Point 3

Selected Measures of Radioactivity by Quarter 2001 - 2004
Total Millicuries
Quarter Xenon 133 Fission Gases Tritium
1st Q 2001 59 91 360
2nd Q 2001 218 251 457
3rd Q 2001 321 1040 1120
4th Q 2001 378 1400 1430
1st Q 2002 5580 8180 1310
2nd Q 2002 1820 3790 1670
3rd Q 2002 166 202 1540
4th Q 2002 33 55 679
1st Q 2003 141 181 495
2nd Q 2003 190 229 828
3rd Q 2003 371 525 951
4th Q 2003 523 1590 830
1st Q 2004 144 204 1420
2nd Q 2004 1290 1450 1340
3rd Q 2004 29 58 1140
4th Q 2004 36 121 1570

One millicurie is 1/1000th of a curie. The physical half lives of Xenon-133 and Tritium are
5.24 days and 12.3 years, respectively. Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
www.reirs.com/effluent/EDB

The extraordinarily high level of Total Fission Gases emissions in the first quarter of 2002
with 8180 millicuries immediately stands out. The average for the whole 4 year period is
1210 millicuries per quarter but the first and second quarters of 2002 are nearly 7 times
and over 3 times this level.

Why are there such striking variations in Total Fission Gas emissions from the Indian Point
3 reactor, from 55 millicuries per quarter to 8,180 in the first quarter of 2002?

The Total Fission Gas emissions for these 4 years are 19.4 curies. The above cited report
also shows that from 1970 to 1993, total emissions from Indian Point were 17.5 curies - in
other words, Indian Point has emitted 11% more radiation in 4 recent years than in the
entire 23 year period from 1970 to 1993.

The 8 curies released in the first quarter of 2002 are nearly half the total 23 year amount
from 1970 to 1993.

This may be circumstantial evidence, but if Indian Point deliberately released these very
high levels of fission gases in the first quarter of 2002, the timing could have been to
coincide with any radiological investigations being carried out in the New York area in the
aftermath of the WTC destruction. Once the "shock and awe" had worn off and medical
attention started to be focused on the developing illnesses of rescue workers and residents,
increased radiation levels and detection of fallout from the WTC destruction could be
blamed on Indian Point.

Alternatively, Indian Point did not release these huge quantities of fission gases at all but
was reported to have done so to provide a cover story for the fallout from the WTC.