Approximately 45,000 gallons of radioactive wastewater from an inactive facility north of New York City will be released into the Hudson River, following a federal court’s decision that invalidated a state environmental regulation.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas ruled in favor of Holtec International, the company involved, overturning the 2023 “Save The Hudson” law that attempted to bar the firm from contaminating the river.
In a lawsuit filed last year, Holtec maintained that the authority to regulate wastewater discharges from the Indian Point plant belonged solely to the federal government, which accounted for the 45,000 gallons in question, as reported by The New York Times reported.
Judge Karas acknowledged in his ruling that the 2023 law “categorically prevents Holtec from using a federally recognized disposal method.”
The company added that discharges similar to these have been standard during the plant’s long operational history.
Expressing satisfaction with the ruling, Holtec assured concerned residents of New York that the release of radioactive water would adhere strictly to federal guidelines.
“We remain committed to decommissioning the Indian Point site in an environmentally responsible fashion while collaborating with local, state, and federal partners,” the company stated, as noted by Reuters.
Located on the Hudson River about 35 miles north of Manhattan, Indian Point was shuttered in 2021 following widespread community concerns about environmental safety.
Despite Governor Kathy Hochul’s enthusiastic endorsement and signing of the “Save The Hudson” law, she criticized the closure of Indian Point as a short-sighted decision while announcing plans for a new nuclear power plant.
“Let’s be frank. By doing that, we disabled one-fourth of New York City’s energy supply, and it was mostly clean energy,” Hochul stated during a press conference on June 23.
“Without an immediate substitute, we’ve had to resort to burning more fuel. The consumption of fossil fuels has increased, resulting in higher greenhouse gas emissions in downstate New York as a consequence,” she added.
Holtec appears to share a similar perspective, considering the possibility of reinstating operations at Indian Point to address escalating energy needs, as reported by Bloomberg News reported on September 10.
“Most expressions of interest have surfaced at the federal level,” Patrick O’Brien, Holtec’s director of government affairs, conveyed to the media. “Achieving this would require time, financial resources, and political resolve.”
A representative from Hochul’s office reiterated that there were no intentions to restart operations at Indian Point, emphasizing plans for the plant’s complete decommissioning.
Water discharged from nuclear facilities is known to contain low levels of radioactivity, specifically tritium, which presents minimal contamination risks, as reported by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
With contributions from Post wires.
