Today, Holtec International, the company in charge of decommissioning the Indian Point Nuclear Plant, informed the Decommissioning Oversight Board that they are drastically expediting their plan to dump one million gallons of radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River. The move, originally planned for August, is now scheduled for early May.

Legislation in Albany proposed by Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, S5181/A5338, would ban release of radioactive waste into the Hudson River. To date, both Westchester and Rockland Counties have passed unanimous resolutions opposing Holtec’s dangerous plan.

The Hudson River is a Superfund site, relied on by seven communities and over 100,000 people for drinking water. The waste Holtec International plans to dump contains several contaminants including tritium, a radioactive isotope that can lead to cancer when inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin in large quantities.

In response, Food & Water Watch Senior New York Organizer Santosh Nandabalan released the following statement:

“Holtec’s plan to dump radioactive water into the Hudson River is ludicrously dangerous — expediting the ploy is absurd. Protecting our health and environment must take priority over corporate expediency. Governor Hochul and her legislature have one month to pass S5181/A5338 — it’s time our legislators moved as fast as the polluters threatening our water.”