CARMEL, NY – Congressman John Hall will be continuing his “Community Congress” forums in the upcoming weeks, holding four more in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties respectively, beginning on April 21 in Mount Kisco. All of the forums will give Hall an opportunity to hear directly from the residents of his district.

     Future forums are scheduled for April 28 in Stony Point, May 5 in Carmel and May 12 in Fishkill. Information on forums as they are scheduled is available on Hall’s Congressional website at www.johnhall.house.gov.

April 21 at Mount Kisco Town Hall, 104 Main St.—11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
April 28 at Stony Point Town Hall, 74 East Main St.—11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
May 5 at Carmel Town Hall, 60 McAlpin Avenue, Mahopac—2:30 PM to 4:00PM
May 12 at Fishkill Town Hall, 807 Route 52—1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

The forums will open with an update from Congressman Hall on the work of Congress and specific activity that affects the Hudson Valley. Following these remarks, there will be an informal question-and-answer period with Congressman Hall so that he can hear the comments and concerns of residents of the 19th Congressional District.
    “It’s important for me to hear and understand what people are concerned about and what ideas they may have,” said Hall. “I’ve found all of our forums so far to have been extremely productive. My district staff attends these events as well, so we can follow up promptly on the ideas and requests of the people who attend.”
    Hall has held several “Community Congress” forums around the district already—in the Towns of Warwick, Chester and Yorktown, as well as an “issues” forum on wind energy in Beacon —and they have attracted more than 100 people on each occasion.
    “The responses we have received about Congressman Hall’s ‘Community Congresses’ have been very positive,” said Susan Spear, Hall’s district director. “People tell me that  they really appreciate the opportunity to talk with their Representative directly and hear what he has to say about all the issues.”
     Rep. Hall is a member of the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Veterans’ Affairs, and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He is chairman of the Veterans Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
  The “Community Congress” forums are open to the public and all constituents are encouraged to attend.

A transformer fire led to the shut down of Indian Point 3.

From the Journal News coverage:

The unplanned shutdown, the second this week, will degrade the plant’s safety rating to white from green, the safest of four operational categories, said Diane Screnci, a spokeswoman for the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Parsing that sentence – the plant is going from the safest rating, green, to a lower rating of white.

John Hall’s press release:

US Rep. John Hall Renews Demand for Independent Study of Indian Point

Fire, Explosion only the latest in string of potentially dangerous mishaps

CARMEL, NY – In the wake of the incident today at the Indian Point Nuclear Complex, U. S. Representative John Hall (NY-19) stated: “This explosion and fire at Indian Point, triggering a shutdown of Unit 3, is only the latest in a string of accidents and unplanned shutdowns at the plant.  It only reinforces the necessity of an objective, truly independent safety study before re-licensing for another 20 years is considered.”

Hall, along with House members Nita Lowey, Maurice Hinchey, Elliot Engel and Christopher Shays, plus Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, have co-sponsored legislation requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to have an Independent Safety Assessment performed and any problems that are discovered be reported and dealt with before the re-licensing process can go forward.  Recent problems at the plant have included: debris clogging the water intake grate, causing a low level of cooling water in the plant; the fracturing of a spent fuel rod while it was being moved in a cooling pond, presumably raising the level of radioactivity in the circulating water; failure of all the emergency sirens to operate in evacuation drills; and, of course, the ongoing leaks from two spent fuel ponds which are spilling strontium 90 and tritium into the ground water and the Hudson River.

“Today, as always, we are told by Entergy and the NRC that there is no danger to the public health,” added Hall. “That is what every utility says, what the NRC always says.  Their credibility is, to put it kindly, insufficient to reassure us when 8% of the population of the entire United States lives within the 50 mile radius of this plant.  This is the only plant we know that was scouted out by one of the 9/11 terrorists as a possible target, an aging plant with a history of  ‘unusual events’ and not one that should be rubber-stamped for another 20 years of operation.  I join with my colleagues in the House and Senate in calling for an immediate Independent Safety Assessment.”

Westchester County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz also renewed his support of an ISA. 

Rep. John Hall Announces Series of Forums on Energy Independence

Wind Energy Featured at First Event on April 9th in Beacon

CARMEL, NY — U.S. Rep. John Hall (NY-19), a longtime advocate of renewable energy, has announced that he will be hosting a series of public forums in the 19th Congressional District focused on accelerating the development and widespread use of alternative energy sources.
    “Our country must greatly increase the adoption of alternative energy sources if we are ever going to achieve energy independence,” said Hall. “By hosting these forums, it is my hope that the Hudson Valley becomes a significant leader in the production and use of all kinds of renewable energy.”
    The first forum, “Harvesting Wind Power for the Hudson Valley,” will take place Monday, April 9th, from 7-9 p.m. at the Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main Street, Beacon.  Future alternative energy forums hosted by Rep. Hall will focus on other alternative sources such as solar power, hydropower, biofuels and geothermal energy.
    Hall, who purchases wind-generated electricity for his home in Dover Plains, is a member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming of the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Wind energy is slowly gaining greater acceptance because it is clean, renewable and, where weather conditions are right, it is abundant,” said Hall. “Wind turbines also are an opportunity for farmers and others to generate additional revenue.  I want to find ways to overcome obstacles to the wider use of wind power so businesses, families and governments can purchase wind energy more readily.”
    The public event will open with a report from Rep. Hall on Congressional efforts to promote renewable energy, especially wind power, and the work of the new Select Committee. The moderator for the event will be Bob Elliott, executive director of the New York Planning Federation. After Congressman Hall’s remarks, four wind energy experts will speak, followed by a question-and-answer period with the audience.

The guest speakers and topics will include:

Paul Curran, BQ Energy LLC:  “The Potential for Wind Energy in New York State and the Hudson Valley”

Keith Christensen, EarthKind Energy: “How You Can Purchase Wind Energy for Your Home, Business or Community”

Marion Trieste, GEOS Global, LLC.:  “Building Community Support for Wind Power in Your Town”

Peter Barton, Barton Orchards and Cornell Cooperative Extension Service:  “Wind Power: Farmers’ Next Cash Crop?”

Bob Elliot is a former mayor of Croton-on-Hudson. 

The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is charged with “recommending to the Congress policies, strategies, technologies and other innovations to reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy and prevent global warming.” 

Despite world-wide consensus on the issue, some Republicans, including the minority members appointed to the Select Committee, still deny the occurence of climate change.  Katrina Vanden Heuvel of the Nation provides a Wish list for the Committee.