Gas lines near Indian Point nuclear plant questioned

A former utility executive and nuclear opponent is raising concerns about the presence of two large underground natural gas pipelines that cross within a few hundred feet of the Indian Point nuclear facility in Buchanan, N.Y.

The nuclear reactors' owner, the pipelines' owner and regulators say the pipelines do not pose a threat.

Paul Blanch, an energy consultant from West Hartford, Conn., filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Monday that questions whether the NRC has properly studied the effects of an explosion of the lines or planned for such an accident. The lines supply New England with a quarter of its daily natural gas needs.

"It's a low probability event," said Blanch of a rupture of one of the pipes. "But the consequences are unimaginable."

Concerns about natural gas pipeline safety have been heightened since a large pipeline in San Bruno, Calif. ruptured and exploded in September, killing eight people and destroying 37 homes.

Blanch's fear is that similar explosion and subsequent fire at Indian Point could damage or destroy the cooling and safety systems at the site and lead to a catastrophic nuclear accident.

The pipelines near Indian Point carry about double the amount of natural gas as the San Bruno pipeline.

The NRC licenses that allow the plants' owner, Entergy, to operate the two Indian Point reactors expire in 2013 and 2015.

Entergy is in the process of trying to extend those licenses for 20 years, and that process has made Indian Point somewhat of a lightning rod for anti-nuclear advocates, including Blanch.

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is running for governor of New York, opposes extending the licenses because, he says, the plants are too close to heavily populated areas. They are 45 miles from New York City. Blanch has testified in hearings on Cuomo's behalf.

Environmental advocates do not want Entergy's licenses renewed because they say the cooling system used by the plants kills unacceptable numbers of endangered fish like the Atlantic sturgeon and other marine organisms.

The NRC said in a letter to Blanch that it had Entergy evaluate the consequences of a failure of the gas pipelines in August of 2008. In September 2008, Entergy concluded that the pipelines do not pose a safety or security hazard, according to the NRC.

The NRC would not make the details of the study available citing "sensitive information."

Entergy also declined to discuss details. In an e-mail, a company representative wrote: "An explosion or a fire involving the pipeline does not pose a hazard to the safe operation of the plant."