Westchester County Executive George Latimer has slammed Holtec following the company”™s announcement to the Indian Point Energy Center Decommissioning Oversight Board that it planned to begin releasing treated wastewater from the shutdown nuclear power plant into the Hudson River next month.
“The announcement by Holtec to expedite this plan, in the midst of ongoing discussions with state officials, community stakeholders and local municipalities, is an outrageous one,” said Latimer. “The impacted communities have far too much at stake for any treated water dumping to occur on a timeline quicker than what was expected. It is a mistake for Holtec to act before full public vetting of all options and acting without convincing residents and local governments why the other options have been overridden for consideration.”
Latimer noted that Westchester County has a seat on the Indian Point Decommissioning Board and his office is “requesting an exact list of all elements and components which will be tested for. I am urging Holtec and all parties involved to suspend their current plans, and to hold continued conversations on this decision and any subsequent actions that may be taken in order to ensure that residents of and visitors to our beautiful, scenic riverfronts are best protected.”
Holtec has made no public comment on its plans. adds insult to injury with early discharge plan. The environmental nonprofit Riverkeeper pointed out that Holtec”™s decision to release radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River is “three months earlier than the timetable described by Holtec during a meeting Feb. 2 with the oversight board,” adding that this scheduling change “may be an attempt to get around the new restrictions that could be imposed by a bill pending in the New York Legislature.”
Holtec’s dismissive attitude towards the public interest and the voice of communities who do not want contaminated radioactive wastewater dumped into the Hudson River in New York and Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts is perhaps just as egregious as the company’s disregard of the nation’s precious waterways.