Activists have been calling for the shutdown of Indian Point since 1979 when a near meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania demonstrated the possible dangers of placing nuclear reactors near areas of heavy population density. Since September 11, 2001 there has been renewed interest in mothballing the plant.
The thirty year old reactors have been called a "weapon of mass destruction" by some in the wake of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks. This is because an explosion in or around the plant, or airplane crash on the containment buildings above the three reactors at Indian Point could cause nuclear fallout that might reach populated areas including New York City, northern New Jersey, and Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Supporters of nuclear energy point to the need for stable power near the New York metropolitan area as the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently approved an evacuation plan and the 2003 U.S.-Canada blackout has demonstrated the importance of energy independence. The Indian Point plant produces electricity for nearly 2 million homes in the New York metropolitan area.