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Dunkirk's planning and development director recently brushed off a city resident's concerns about a possible nuclear repowering of the former NRG plant.
Paul Somerfeldt stated the concerns at an Economic Development Committee meeting this week. However, Vince DeJoy said that Dunkirk ought to be proud it is even getting considered for a nuclear project.
"The technology is not as good as their people want you to think," Somerfeldt said of the nuclear industry, citing safety issues. "Dunkirk should not be a beta tester for this kind of technology."
Somerfeldt, who lives close to the ex-NRG plant, speculated he might have to move if the site went nuclear. He stated most nuclear plants have exclusion zones around them, where no one can reside.
"Are we going to save money in the city budget by killing the city?" Somerfeldt wondered. He declared that geothermal power would be a "better fit" for restarting the mothballed plant.
DeJoy called into the meeting, and there was a few seconds of dead air after Somerfeldt finished his comments. The planning and development director then flatly stated he didn't want to address Somerfeldt's issues.
"We should be honored to even be considered" in New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's push to add nuclear-powered electricity to the state's grid, DeJoy said.
"It's a private developer that owns that site.They will decide what's on that site," DeJoy added.
Genover purchased the site from NRG in early June. The Texas-based company specializes in redeveloping brownfield industrial properties and unused power generation infrastructure.
Genover sent representatives to a June 30 nuclear power information forum at SUNY Fredonia that was sponsored by State Sen. George Borrello. DeJoy (who is also a Chautauqua County legislator), Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz, and city Councilman Frank Torain also went to the forum.