Remembering John J Mullen And LILCO'S Plan For A "Nuclear Power Park"

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

 John J. Mullen, a leading wordsmith of the anti-nuclear power movement on Long Island, died last month. Working pro bono with attorney Tom Twomey, who passed away in 2014, Mullen used his great gift at language and brilliance at advertising and direct-mail to challenge the scheme of the Long Island Lighting Company to turn Suffolk County into a “Nuclear Power Park.”

Yes, “Nuclear Power Park.” Mr. Twomey obtained—and Mr. Mullen brought to public attention—a four-inch-thick “Nuclear Power Park Report” put together by LILCO. 

Nuclear power plants would be built throughout Suffolk under LILCO’s plan to become a major distributor of nuclear-generated electricity on the U.S. East Coast—with the people of the county undergoing the enormous risks of having the counterparts of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants here.

Four nuclear power plants would be built along the Long Island Sound in Jamesport. It was during the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearings on the LILCO Jamesport project that Mr. Twomey secured the “Nuclear Power Park Report.”

And, three nuclear power plants were supposed to rise 30 miles to the west of Jamesport, at Shoreham. The first, what was referred to in NRC licensing proceeding papers, as Shoreham Nuclear Power Station 1, was completed and underwent problem-plagued low-power testing. It was stopped from going into commercial operation by opposition at the grassroots and by Suffolk and New York State governments. It now sits, a cement hulk, its nuclear innards removed, with its demolition deemed too expensive by the Long Island Power Authority, to which LILCO turned it over for a nominal $1.  There would be no Shoreham Nuclear Power Stations 2 and 3 nor were there to be any of the other nuclear plants LILCO planned elsewhere in Suffolk.

Mr. Mullen had been advertising director of the Long Island Traveler-Watchman in Mattituck when the big nuclear power push and resulting strong resistance —a veritable energy “Battle of Long Island”—was erupting. He would later work for other newspapers in Suffolk. 

Newspapering was in John’s family. His father, also John J. Mullen, was circulation director and a board member of Newsday. The elder Mr. Mullen, John would recount, was the “right-hand man” to Alicia Patterson, the daughter of the founder of the New York Daily News, as she struck out on her own to found and run on Long Island her own newspaper, Newsday. The Mullens lived, and John grew up, in Garden City, where Newsday was long published. 

Indeed, part of Mr. Mullen’s strategy in challenging nuclear power on Long Island was to put together a broadsheet newspaper, New York State Against Jamesport, on which he is listed as Publishing Director and Editor In Chief. 

John utilized a blunt “in-your-face” approach to taking on LILCO and its nuclear power scheme. For example, in an old yellowed copy I have kept of New York State Against Jamesport, there is a half-page declaration that John wrote titled: “TO THE SHAREOWNERS OF LONG ISLAND LIGHTING COMPANY, SHOULD YOU SELL NOW?”

 It began by speaking of the big nuclear push by LILCO, “the possibility of 20 nuclear power plants.” And, the LILCO shareowners were advised, “LILCO’s ambitious nuclear program could represent a bad investment for the company and a financial loss for its shareowners. There is growing resistance to nuclear power plants not only with the public but in financial institutions and shareowners.” And it went on with critical information.

John met the love of his life, Mary Ann McCaffrey, in 1979. Together, they would move to Manhattan and John would work at Oglivy & Mather where he was an executive in its direct response division. But they returned to Suffolk in 1984 establishing Mullen & McCaffrey, which since 1984 has been a crackerjack agency doing direct mail, fundraising, advertising and PR for a wide range of clients here especially environmental organizations. 

“Johnny is dead at 73 which is too soon, but he is kept alive for me by all the family and friends who are sharing their Johnny stories with me,” Mary Ann wrote after Mr. Mullen’s death.  “He told the truth—sometimes offending people—but was always forgiving and loving, and caring.” 

John Mullen of East Hampton was a Suffolk environmentalist of whom we should all be proud and indebted to for his superb work in preventing Suffolk from becoming a “Nuclear Power Park,” and, on the positive side, along with Mary Ann assisting so many good groups and people here.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.