Cuomo's trouble-standards

“Getting the facts and understanding them are critically important to serving the public interest...False hysteria is not.” - Rob Astorino

The widely reported big news in the U.S.A. yesterday, as the Supreme Court decided to put the Clean Power Plan on hold until it decides on the legalities (reports from Reuters and AP).

I don't think that's particularly big news because I'm neither a fan of the plan nor confident it will survive the political regime change coming before implementation dates hit.

A couple of things I do find interesting are motivations to clean the electricity generating sector, and anti-nuclear hysteria.

Cuomo strikes contrasting tones at Hoosick Falls and Indian Point

While Cuomo was "deeply concerned" about the leak at Indian Point, he seemed more concerned about untoward panic among residents at Hoosick Falls, despite the fact that the water in Hoosick Falls has been poisoned, and the water near Indian Point is safe to consume.

It already has been verified that the water in Hoosick Falls exceeds federal pollution standards, by at least four or five times what the Environmental Protection Agency has said is safe for humans to consume. What’s more, the toxic chemical PFOA is definitely in the water of Hoosick Falls and the people there have likely been drinking it for years, possibly generations. PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, has been linked to unusual cancers and other life-threatening conditions, and medical professionals in town have documented high rates of cancers. 

The state waited months to take significant action in Hoosick Falls, and assured residents as recently as December that the water was safe to drink. The state Department of Health, along with the village’s elected leaders, have been widely criticized by residents as well as some lawmakers, who are now considering holding legislative hearings on the state's actions in Hoosick Falls.

And though the radioactivity levels in the water near Indian Point spiked upwards in recent weeks, it is still 1,000 times below federal limits. The wells that tested positive for elevated levels of radium (in one case it was a 65,000 percent increase) are designed for monitoring and not human consumption. The tritium, a naturally occuring radioactive isotope, found in the water at Indian Point will likely never reach a source of drinking water.

Read Scott Waldman's full report at POLITICO New York.

The report includes news New York Governor Cuomo the 2nd has already approved one fossil fueled generator to replace and Indian Point nuclear and a second one is moving through planning.