The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided not to issue any additional penalties for the belated construction of a new siren system at Indian Point.
Jerry Nappi, a spokesperson for Entergy Nuclear, which owns the nuclear power plant, admits the company did not start the project with the needed focus on details.
"It's no secret that we had significant challenges early on, but we stepped up, we met those challenges," Nappi says. "Management has a very hands-on approach to this."
The new emergency alert system, which was supposed to replace outdated, Cold War-era sirens, went online last August, more than a year-and-a-half late. After three deadlines were missed, the NRC began levying fines, which totaled $780,000.
However, Westchester County officials feel the expenses they incurred working with Entergy to get the new system working demand a higher penalty.
"The county, the state, FEMA and the NRC had to spend basically 12 months of intense effort to get them to meet the deadline," says Westchester Emergency Services Commissioner Tony Sutton.
Sutton says the county has yet to decide whether it will appeal the NRC's decision.