The county executives from Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Ulster Counties claim victory in Holtec’s decision announced yesterday to pause the planned release beginning in May of treated radioactive wastewater from Indian Point Energy Center into the Hudson River. In addition, they demand the planned future dumping of the toxic water be abandoned. The county executives, both Democrats and Republicans, had previously joined in bipartisan criticism of Holtec’s plan. The Business Journals learned they’ll continue collectively insisting on more transparency and dialogue about what’s going to happen with the wastewater.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger and Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O’Neil all have been outspoken about Holtec’s plan. They’ve called on Holtec to act with caution and to prioritize the safety and well-being of the local communities. They’ve been asking that Holtec and other parties involved in the Indian Point decommissioning process engage in continued dialogue with the counties and other stakeholders in order to ensure that all concerns are heard and that the most appropriate decisions are made.
Holtec, the company that took over the Indian Point nuclear plant from Entergy and is responsible for its decommissioning under the control of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided not to go ahead with a plan to dump radioactive wastewater from the plant into the Hudson River, at least for now. Holtec originally planned to release from 500,000 to one million gallons of radioactive water into the Hudson beginning in August but moved up the start date to May.
Holtec’s decision to hold off on the water dumping at least for the moment prompted U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to comment, “As a drinking water source and world-renown hub for tourism, recreation, and more, the Hudson River is at the heart of our Hudson Valley communities. I am relieved that Holtec has heeded our call and will put a stop to its hastily hatched plan to dump radioactive wastewater into the Hudson this May. Without clear information about what’s in the water, and a recent federal violation within the Indian Point treatment system, and a lack of transparency about its plans, Holtec has left our communities in the dark.”
Rep. Mike Lawler of Congressional District 17 in the Hudson Valley, while welcoming the pause, said that he has had numerous discussions with officials from Holtec and that they discussed other alternatives to dumping, including storing the radioactive wastewater in tanks on-site to allow time for the natural radioactive decay of the radiation to take place.
The Indian Point nuclear plant used water to help cool the reactors. Water also is used for storing used nuclear fuel rods. Holtec planned to dilute the radioactive wastewater, which would lessen the intensity of the radiation in a given volume of water before the wastewater was released into the river.
