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SW: $650,000 Fine Urged for Indian Point Owner
In August 2007, the ''New York Times'' reported on Entergy's problems with getting its "new $15 million emergency siren system up and running" at the Indian Point nuclear power station in New York. "The sirens are meant to alert residents within 10 miles of the plant of an emergency," explained the ''Times''. But, during testing, "sirens that were supposed to be heard miles away were inaudible in several areas. Alarms that were meant to be tested silently blared unexpectedly, startling residents who had not been warned." [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/12colwe.html]
"The system was supposed to be working by the end of January [2007]. Entergy received a 75-day extension from the [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]](NRC). But on April 12, three days before the second target date, 31 sirens failed to sound during a test. After Entergy missed the April deadline, the N.R.C. fined the company $130,000." The third deadline was August 24, which Entergy spokesman [[Jim Steets]] said the company was "confident we’ll make it." [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/12colwe.html]
The siren problems "come in the midst of Entergy’s application to renew the nuclear power plants' licenses for another 20 years," noted the ''Times''. "Indian Point 2's license expires in 2013, Indian Point 3's in 2015." Yet, "the siren problem has no bearing on the relicensing." [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/12colwe.html]
On August 31, 2007, the ''New York Times'' reported that Entergy "had missed its third deadline for installing the [emergency siren] system and could face fines." [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/nyregion/31mbrfs-nuke.html]
In January 2008, the NRC proposed a $650,000 fine against Indian Point, for not meeting the "deadline to install new emergency warning sirens with backup power supplies." The fine is "10 times the normal size" of such sanctions, reported the ''New York Times'', with possible additional fines if the safety requirements are not met "in a timely manner." <ref>Matthew Wald, "[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/nyregion/25indian.html $650,000 Fine Urged for Indian Point Owner]," ''New York Times'', January 25, 2008.</ref>
==Relicensing debate==
