No. I-08-048 

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 

 Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 

August 1, 2008

 NRC, ENTERGY TO DISCUSS WORK TOWARD COMPLETION, OPERABILITY 

 OF NEW SIREN SYSTEM FOR INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR PLANT ON AUG. 8 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting with Entergy 

Nuclear Operations, Inc., on Friday, Aug. 8, to discuss the company’s work on installing, testing 

and placing into service a new emergency notification system (ENS) for the Indian Point nuclear 

power plant. FEMA staff will also be in attendance. 

The system, which would be used to notify the public in the event of a significant event at 

the Buchanan (Westchester County), N.Y., plant, is equipped with 172 sirens located throughout 

the roughly 10-mile-radius Emergency Planning Zone for the facility. Entergy has set a target 

date of Aug. 14 for placing the new system in service. However, that date is contingent on final 

approval of the system as defined by regulation and guidance that the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) must adhere to and apply to all nuclear power plants across the 

country. 

“This has been a difficult project. We are nearing the culmination of nearly two and half 

years of work on the new emergency notification system for Indian Point -- work that has 

involved a high degree of effort and cooperation among federal, state and county officials,” NRC 

Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins said. “At our public meeting on August 8th, we will 

talk about the current status of this project, what remains to be done, the potential transition to 

the new siren system and our expectations for the operation and continued testing of the system.” 

Scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., the Aug. 8th meeting will take place at the Westchester 

Marriott Tarrytown, at 670 White Plains Road in Tarrytown, N.Y. Members of the public will 

have an opportunity to speak with the NRC and FEMA staff following the business portion of 

the meeting but prior to adjournment. 

There will also be an informational poster-board session on the topic from 12:30 to 

1 p.m. at the same location. That session will provide an opportunity for members of the public 

to informally discuss issues related to the ENS with NRC and FEMA staff. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region I 

475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 

E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov 

Site: http://www.nrc.gov
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included a provision directing the NRC to require nuclear 

power plants with high local population densities to have back-up power for their emergency 

notification systems, including sirens. Indian Point is the only nuclear plant that fell within the 

requirement. The existing ENS is capable of alerting the general public in the vicinity of Indian 

Point if an emergency condition occurs. However, to address the resulting NRC order, Entergy 

decided to install a new siren system. 

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