Simultaneous Attacks an Issue for Indian Point, Agency Says

Emergency planning around the Indian Point nuclear power plant should consider the threat of simultaneous terrorist attacks on the reactors and on the area around them, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said today. In a report requested by Representative Sue Kelly, a Republican whose district includes the plant, the agency said that planners should consider “other terrorist attacks occurring simultaneously” with an attack on the nuclear plant. Since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the power plant, about 35 miles from Midtown Manhattan, in Buchanan, N.Y., has been seen as a potential target. Some residents have voiced fears that if terrorists attacked Indian Point, they may also attack the bridges and roads that would normally serve as escape routes. Ms. Kelly, who has called for a shutdown of the plant until questions about evacuation plans can be put to rest, had asked FEMA to address the impact of terrorism on emergency planning, among other issues. Her request came after Richard A. Meserve, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, criticized a state-commissioned report on emergency plans for Indian Point. Mr. Meserve said last month that the report “appears to give undue weight to the impact of potential acts of terrorism.” Full Story