Environmental News

Holtec Pauses Plans to Discharge Wastewater from Indian Point

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State Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky was among the elected officials who criticized Holtec Friday.

April 18, 2023

By Rick Pezzullo—

Nine days after creating a community stir by announcing it would be moving up the date to dump radioactive wastewater from the closed Indian Point nuclear power plants into the Hudson River, Holtec International has put on the brakes to that plan.

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On April 13, Holtec, which is decommissioning the plants in the Village of Buchanan, penned a letter to the Indian Point Decommissioning Oversight Board, stating it would be taking a “voluntary pause.”

“While Holtec notes that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has ultimate authority over radiological liquid releases at Indian Point and at other sites across the country, we hope this voluntary pause will be viewed positively as an indication of our willingness to work together with the state and with the surrounding community,” Holtec spokesman Patrick O’Brien stated.

It’s the third time this year that Holtec has changed the timeframe to discharge 45,000 gallons of wastewater from the spent fuel rods on the 240-acre site. In Feb., Holtec announced it would begin the process in August.

Elected officials from all levels of government have taken turns criticizing Holtec, urging the company to consider other options to dispose the unwanted and contaminated water.

On April 14, state Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg (D-Ossining) spearheaded a “call to action” rally at Croton Point Park that was attended by about 30 local leaders and environmental activists.

One of the lawmakers in attendance was freshman State Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky (D-Greenburgh).

“Dumping large quantities of highly toxic substances in a waterway is not okay,” Shimsky said. “Hopefully we will now have a pause that will lead to some study and discussion.”

About 500,000 people have signed a petition opposing the release of the wastewater into the river.

Holtec representatives have said the discharge of the wastewater is regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noting the company has permits from both the EPA and New York State that govern the releases.

Tracy Brown, president of Riverkeeper, said it’s unfair that the NRC “gets to call all the shots.”

“If we went forward with everything we’ve always done, we won’t have much more time on this Earth,” Brown remarked.

On Monday, county executives from six neighboring counties joined forces to stress the importance of having a healthy Hudson River.

“Holtec heard the clear call by all concerned parties to stop the plan to dump Indian Point wastewater into the majestic Hudson River – but this battle is far from over,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “We need a plan for this radioactive wastewater from Indian Point, and we need the plan to protect the health of the people who call the Hudson Valley home. We also a need good faith commitment from Holtec to have discussions about the plan in a transparent and forthcoming manner. Decisions need to be made considering the welfare of the residents and the environment – not just Holtec’s bottom line.”

Holtec has stressed that the discharge of the water has been occurring at the plants for decades. Opponents have argued there are alternatives Holtec can consider to handle the wastewater, such as storing it on site in sealed containers.

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