Indeed. To the surprise of activists intent on closing the Indian Point power plants, just as many took to the muddy Riverfront Green of Peekskill overlooking the Hudson on this sunny Saturday afternoon to see that the plants remain open. For most, it turns out, their jobs are on the line.

"It's always been a nuclear facility--we've been running for 30 years that way," says Juan Cintron, who works at the Indian Point 3 plant (IP3). "[Anti-nuclear activists] are trying to take advantage of the fact that Sept.11 occurred because they fear for a lack of security. But we've beefed up security. The president has basically said hey, you know what, we're gonna do everything it takes to keep this place secure, to keep our country secure. And nuclear plants are one of the things that is receiving that security."

The debate surrounding the power plants has intensified since Sept. 11, when two ill-fated planes flew right above Indian Point. Workers contend that environmentalists are "taking advantage" of the tragedy to push their own agenda, some even charging that by arguing against the power plant, we were giving in to terrorists.

"They're trying to use this opportunity to scare the public," argues Linda Roman, a lifelong resident of Peekskill and employee at IP3. "They've been trying to shut this plant down since they broke ground. I grew up in this neighborhood, and this is just ridiculous. Every time we turn on the news they're saying there's a leak. It's like having a leak in your car that doesn't make the news."

What Roman may not understand, however, and what those pushing to close the plant are trying to illuminate for the workers, is that her analogies are hardly applicable where the potential ramifications of one scenario include a few individuals and a trip to the auto mechanic, while the other would cost trillions in damage and render New York uninhabitable.

The Bush administration has recently passed legislation in the interests of the nuclear industry, should the worst-case scenario occur. The Price Anderson Act of 1957 established a taxpayer-backed insurance plan for operators of nuclear power plants, initially intended as a temporary measure. On November 27, 2001, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2983, extending the Act for another 15 years and reducing financial liability on the part of nuclear plants to just $9 billion, regardless of the severity of damages.

Citron says supporters of the plant include local businesses and unions, and most prominently, workers from both IP2 and IP3 plants, both newly acquired by Entergy Corp., a Louisiana-based global power company. IP3, he points out, is among the top 25 plants in the country.

Unfortunately, IP2 was ranked the single worst reactor in the US by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Yet Citron argues that Entergy has promised to improve the site and take drastically new security measures.

"If I find that they can't run it safely, I'll shut them down!" he declares. "I'll go right out and tell the public what the problems are." Adding emphasis to impulse, he begins to yell "2-4-6-8, Indian Point must operate!" along with the crowd, laughing in spite of himself.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, those in favor of shutting the plant down had organized several speakers, along with the Nuclear Neighborhood Singers, to inform the workers about the dangers posed by the plants. It is this rally most had come prepared for, which was organized by the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC).

Astrid Church, a concerned citizen of Garrison, NY, feels that the safety hazards have simply gotten out of hand, particularly since a major accident two years ago yesterday involving a ruptured steam generator tube left IP2 closed for 11 months.

"IP2 is 40 years old, and these plants have a limited life span," she says. "They have these generators that have been sitting around for over a decade just recently installed. Some of the workers have failed the tests, and leaking continues. I'd rather see it shut down than live with the idea that if a meltdown does happen it will destroy the whole environment."

Additionally, she points out, there are higher incidents of breast cancer and learning disabilities in the area, which have been attributed to radioactive material leaked into the Hudson by the plants.

"You represent the oil companies and the coal companies, go home!" one woman screams at the top of her lungs at New York Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who has taken to the stage to tell workers he is fighting as much to save their lives as anyone else's. "Go back to the Dark Ages!"

Every elected official who came out to speak this afternoon seems to have done so on the platform of closing Indian Point. Putnam County Legislator Vincent M. Tamagna strongly favors closing the plant to avoid any potential risks, particularly since the Sept. 11 attacks.

"It's obvious people ate looking to hurt New York City," he says. "There's just such a tremendous risk, and there's no way I'd want to gamble with people's lives, especially post Sept. 11. Within a 300 mile radius, business and agriculture would be affected--every gallon of milk would be dumped, every crop would be burned for 45 days.

Tamagna says he is looking to alternative sources of energy he feels are not only environmentally sound but cost-effective. "Over the next five years, there would have to be a phased in period for green power, whether it's solar, wind, hydroelectric, whether it's using methane gases in facilities," he explains. "There's plenty of horse manure in the Hudson Valley, but there's no facility to take that and convert it and create power. There are so many ways we could use green power here in New York State and get away from the risk and the danger that we see right here."