As reported by USA Today, Entergy says it has no plans to shutdown Indian Point Units 2 & 3, despite their 40-year operating license expirations in Sept., 2013 and 2015, respectively. However, as reported, groups like Riverkeeper -- which has intervened against the license extensions, raising numerous contentions -- beg to differ.

Roger Witherspoon has reported in The Huffington Post that Indian Point 2 will be the first atomic reactor to operate with an expired license, compliments of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which has rubber-stamped an exemption.

During his final press conference as NRC Chairman in summer 2012, Greg Jaczko, in response to a reporter's question, said there is plenty of wiggle room in NRC regulations for Indian Point 2 to continue operating despite its license expiration. Such a mockery of rule of law and regulation flies in the face of something Jaczko told a coalition of concerned local residents and environmental group representatives, including from Beyond Nuclear, during a May 25, 2012 meeting near the problem-plagued Palisades atomic reactor in southwest MI (also owned by Entergy, by the way). Jaczko said once a 40-year license or a 20-year license extension is granted to a nuclear utility for constructing and/or operating an atomic reactor, there is little to nothing NRC can do to force its premature shutdown. Which is exactly why watchdogs were so upset with him for joining with 5 to 0 NRC Commission votes to extend the operating licenses by 20 years at Palisades, as well as Entergy's Vermont Yankee, as but two examples.