DVD Review: Indian Point

There is a lot to be worried about these days, when it appears that fascism is spreading, including here in the United States, and gun violence is becoming an everyday occurrence. But the older concerns have not gone away, concerns like those over the dangers of nuclear energy. Indian Point is a documentary film about the nuclear energy plant in Buchanan, New York, and the efforts to shut it down.

The film begins with news footage of the explosion at the Fukushima reactor in Japan, a disaster which raised new concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants in the United States, including Indian Point, which is just thirty-five miles north of New York City. This documentary takes us inside the plant, with Senior Control Room Supervisor Brian Vangor acting as our guide. The place is fascinating, of course, and there is a lot of excellent footage, as well as some information on how it works and what the safety measures are. Vangor tells us, “Water is a great shield, so everything happens under at least twenty-three feet of water,” adding that cuts down on ninety-nine percent of the radiation coming out of the fuel assembly. The people at the plant talk about they applied knowledge gained from accidents at other plants to make sure nothing similar happened there. The documentary shows us footage of safety drills set in place after Fukushima.

We hear from environmental activists too. After one woman points out a few of the dangers of nuclear power, she asks, “Why am I perceived as the hysterical one?” Good question. The problems include the fact that, as one activist tells us, “Six percent of the U.S. population lives within fifty miles of Indian Point, and the emergency plan is based on a ten-mile evacuation zone.” He adds, “We’re screwed, basically.” The population in the area has grown significantly since the plant opened, and the evacuation plan would leave most people in the area stuck. There is some interesting and frightening information about the renewal process for nuclear power plants, and about spent fuel pools. There is also some compelling and depressing material on the effect the plants has had on the ecosystem of the Hudson River.

By the way, since this documentary was released, the fight to get Indian Point shut down grew stronger, and last year the New York governor announced that the plant would close in 2021.

Special Features

The DVD includes several deleted and extended scenes, including more footage from within the plant and more on the safety concerns and the efforts to shut the plant down. There is also more footage of Brian Vangor’s personal life and interests, and an interview with the mayor of Buchanan. One of the most interesting scenes is about the emergency plans for the plant. It’s also interesting to see the director of communications at Entergy (the company that owns Indian Point) going to a classroom to address the concerns of students. This bonus footage contains a lot of information, more than you might expect from deleted scenes.

Indian Point was directed by Ivy Meeropol, and was released on DVD on October 25, 2016 through First Run Features.