Entergy Corporation, the parent company of the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan, today released a statement about the recent events in Japan.

The company said its "Employees express their deepest sympathies to the people of Japan during this difficult time," adding, "Entergy's nuclear employees are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and industry peers."

The company maintains its plants (in the United States) were designed and built "To withstand the effects of natural disasters including earthquakes and catastrophic flooding. Systems are designed with multiple contingent backup systems to provide greater safety margins," according to Entergy.

"There will be lessons learned from this tragic event. Incorporating those lessons into operating experience is a hallmark of the global nuclear industry. Japan is more susceptible to frequent and intense earthquakes than other developed companies and while it is still early it appeared that the nuclear units' safety systems functioned properly initially following the earthquake," but it was the "overwhelming tsunami" that severely damaged the plant's cooling capabilities and recovery efforts, said Entergy.