Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the “Save the Hudson” bill into law on Friday, banning any further radioactive waste dumping in the Hudson River.
The defunct Indian Point Energy Center, which is the only nuclear plant on the Hudson, is undergoing decommissioning. In February, the plant’s owner, Holtec International, announced it would dump batches of more than 1 million gallons of radioactive water into the river beginning this summer – describing it as the best option for disposing of the material.
The announcement set off a monthslong backlash from surrounding communities who clamored for an alternative, citing health and economic concerns about using the Hudson River, already a federal superfund site, as a dumping ground. While Holtec postponed its August timeframe, the company told Gothamist earlier this week that it still had plans to go ahead in late September or early October. The law effectively blocks this planned discharge.
“The community has spoken loud and clear that it is unacceptable to use the Hudson River as a dumping ground for radioactive waste,” wrote Tracey Brown, president of local advocacy group Riverkeeper, in an email.
As Gothamist previously reported, the water in question has been treated and filtered with charcoal and resin, which removes metals and chloride. But it still contains low levels of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen and a byproduct of nuclear fission. It cannot be extracted from water because the two are so chemically similar.
While tritium isn’t as potent and damaging as plutonium or other radioactive chemicals, humans can breathe it in or ingest it. It has also been found to chemically embed into organic matter, such as plants and animals in the food chain, intensifying its radioactive dose. Tritium emits low levels of beta radiation as it decays and eventually becomes helium. In large quantities, tritium can elevate the risk of cancer.
“The more we learn, the more we know that this is the right move, that we need…
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