Hispanic Leaders Tout Indian Point( CORTLANDT MANOR N.Y. Feb. 12 --...),Health

CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hispanic business and community leaders including the Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Energy Coalition expressed their strong support for the relicensing of Indian Point Energy Center at a Nuclear Regulatory Commission public hearing in Westchester County.

"Indian Point provides the clean and affordable electricity that homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals in New York City rely on," said Maria Castro, the President and CEO of the Manhattan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a founding member of the Hispanic Energy Coalition. "A safe and secure facility like Indian Point is key to the City's environmental and economic health."

Low-income and minority neighborhoods of New York City face dangerous childhood and senior citizen asthma rates, escalating electricity bills, and rising costs for groceries and transportation associated with increased energy cost. Despite these adverse effects, the debate over the future of Indian Point has proceeded largely without the input from New York's communities of color.

"We are here to give a voice to Latino children and families who have not traditionally been a part of this debate," said Rick Miranda, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "The clean energy produced by Indian Point is needed if New York City's Latino communities are going to truly combat the asthma rate."

Frank Garcia, the President of Bronx Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, recognized the health benefits, but also stressed what Indian Point's continued operation means for Latino business owners. "New York already has the second highest electricity bills in the nation," said Garcia. "Closing Indian Point could increase electricity bills by tens of thousands dollars a year."

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