Indian Point nuclear power plant, under the ownership of Holtec International, has come under scrutiny from municipalities and leaders for their remediation and discharge efforts of the former site. The former nuclear power plant is one of many that are in the process of decommissioning.

In recent weeks, the Newburgh Town Board passed a resolution that opposed the disposal of contaminated materials into the river. The Town of New Windsor had also brought the issue forward and was in consideration of a resolution of opposition as well. Westchester and Rockland county officials have also been reported to have passed similar resolutions of opposition.

The Indian Point Power Plant located in Buchanan is a three-unit site with the last site officially closing its doors in 2021. Patrick O’Brien, Director of Government Affairs and Communications for Holtec International, provided an update on the work set out by the company and responses to the concerns raised by the public. He clarified that no nuclear material was being dumped into the Hudson River. The material was being cleaned and stored on-site. Under state and federal permits, Indian Point has the ability to discharge treated materials into the Hudson River, and this approval has been granted since 1962.

As of now, nuclear fuel has been removed from various site pools at unit two and stored and then material from unit three would be offloaded by October/November of 2023. Other smaller structures that are no longer needed have been taken down at the site. More demolition work to the site would be planned later on. According to O’Brien, Holtec is working within a 12 to 15 year decommissioning timeline which meant that the company would be looking to return the land and property back to its original state before it became the site that is known today.

“It [Indian Point] produced power for roughly 60 years to New York State. Holtec came in and purchased the property and the right to decommission from Entergy in June of 2021. And we’ve been working through that process,” said O’Brien. “We [Holtec] did work with the state [NY] through the Attorney General’s office and a number of parties that intervened, including local municipal governments in the area, as well as Riverkeeper to set the decommissioning standards. Nuclear power is going to bring about some scrutiny.”

According to O’Brien, a Joint Proposal was signed by all interested parties such as local and state organizations. The decommissioning efforts set forth in the proposal were recognized as the best economic and environmental standards. O’Brien did note that several parties that had signed the agreement were several who were raising concerns, but Holtec would continue to maintain relationships and dialogue with leaders during their process.

“I am deeply concerned by and opposed to, the plans to discharge low-grade radioactive water into the Hudson River months earlier than planned. The announcement that any radioactive discharge into our region’s most precious natural resource would occur was shocking enough, but advancing an accelerated timeline seems like nothing more than an opportunity to fan flames and skirt accountability,” said Senator James Skoufis [D]. “New York State must act to prevent discharge of radiological agents, which is why I co-sponsor legislation (S.5181) to protect our waterways. Frankly, I was flabbergasted to learn something like this wasn’t already on the books. We are long overdue for this critical reform.”

“The decision to fast-track the dumping timeline is ill-considered and potentially harmful. I urge Holtec, the Decommissioning Oversight Board and others to immediately halt further action until our riverfront communities can weigh in,” said Senator Rob Rolison [R]. “The Hudson is a vital natural resource which must be protected. This is why I have co-sponsored bipartisan legislation which prohibits dumping water containing radiological agents such as tritium and other isotopes found at Indian Point into the river. I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to pass this important and timely bill.”

“Access to clean and potable water is one of the top concerns of the residents of Orange and Rockland County” Assembly member Chris Eachus, (D-New Windsor), said, “We have spent the past decade vigorously locating and rectifying contaminated water in our area, including the recent discovery of PFAS and PFOA in municipal water sources. To allow any decommissioning plans that knowingly involve direct contamination of the Hudson River with radioactive waste would be a costly mistake that would affect the lives of residents in the Hudson Valley for generations to come. Local advocates, communities and residents deserve clear and good faith proposals from Holtec that strive for a fair and safe decommissioning process of Indian Point.”

“Indian Point’s owners say that dumping radioactive water into the Hudson River is the “best option.” Best option for who? We need to draw a line in the sand against any further dumping of any kind into the Hudson River,” said Cornwall Town Supervisor Josh Wojehowski

“It’s wrong for any municipality or private entity to dump toxic water into the Hudson,” said Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh). Jacobson is currently co-sponsoring a bill set forth by State Senator Peter Harckham and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg that would prohibit dumping of nuclear materials into the river.