New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation restricting discharges of radiological substances into the Hudson River. The measure is meant to protect the waterway from the impacts of the decommissioning of Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County.
“The Hudson River is one of New York’s landmark natural treasures, and it’s critical we stand together to protect it for generations to come,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “My administration remains committed to protecting the economic vitality of the region and working closely with local communities who have advocated so passionately for this cause.”
The company leading the decommissioning, Holtec International, halted plans to discharge radioactive wastewater in April amid bipartisan opposition. Holtec says it is disappointed that Hochul signed the bill, saying it believes the legislation is preempted by federal law and "that the discharge of monitored, processed, and treated water would not impact the environment or the health and safety of the public."
Holtec says it is evaluating the impact of the legislation to decommissioning milestones and the overall project schedule. Hochul's office says "the Administration will continue to work closely with federal regulators, Holtec, local officials and the State’s Decommissioning Oversight Board to identify feasible and acceptable alternatives of wastewater disposal so that decommissioning Indian Point can continue, jobs can be preserved, and the site can be cleaned up in a safe, thorough, and prompt manner."
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said wastewater would be filtered and treated to reduce concentrations of the radioactive isotope tritium before its released, and that such releases are monitored to ensure tritium levels are below safety levels set by the NRC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Indian Point, in Buchanan, shut down in April 2021.
