Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley, the supermodel who appeared on over 500 magazine covers in the 1980s, has spoken out about the dangers of nuclear power.

During an appearance Wednesday morning on Good Morning America, the 57-year-old mother discussed her concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants.

"Now with what's going on in Japan... I want to get the message out that nuclear power plants are dangerous," Brinkley said. "We haven't contained them."

Japan's Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant was knocked out by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked the country in March. Seven people died at the Fukushima plant, and radioactivity has been discovered in the local water and food.

The disaster has led to widespread concerns about the safety of nuclear plants in the United States. Brinkley points to one plant in upstate New York, just 38 miles from the center of New York City.

"Right here in New York City is just too close," Brinkley says. "If you love Broadway, if you love everything the Big Apple has to offer, we can't allow Indian Point (Energy Center) to stay open another day."

Brinkley became world famous as a model in the 1980s, along with acting in movies like National Lampoon's Vacation. She was married to musician Billy Joel, and appeared in the music video for his '80s hit Uptown Girl. She was appearing on Good Morning America to promote the new Broadway version of Chicago, featuring Brinkley in a starring role as Roxy.

Brinkley has a long history as an anti-nuclear activist. In 2007 she spoke at the United Nations, calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

"My real grass roots activism arose from living in proximity to Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island," she said then. "Radioactive tritium had been leaking unnoticed for 10 years from the reactors and was contaminating the drinking water of the Long Island aquifer which serves over 3 million people. Breast cancer rates were reported to be amongst the highest in the nation. A Rare childhood cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, appeared in significant numbers near the lab. It made me wonder, 'Am I providing a safe environment in which my children might grow up? What kind of a world are we passing on to them?'"