America's first river to become radioactive disaster zone

"A federal judge ruled in favor of New Jersey-based Holtect International, which sued New York last year to challenge the state's ban on discharging radiological substances from its defunct Indian Point nuclear plant. Holtec's attorneys argued that New York overstepped its authority when it passed the 'Save the Hudson' bill in August 2023, a measure aimed at protecting the Hudson Valley from wastewater linked to the shuttered nuclear facility."

"However, US District Judge Kenneth Karas ruled last week that New York's ban was unconstitutional, affirming that the federal government alone can regulate discharges from the decommissioned nuclear facility. The Indian Point nuclear power plant, located just south of Peekskill, permanently shut down in 2021 after nearly six decades of operation. Within weeks of the closure, the facility was sold to Holtec International, which specializes in dismantling retired nuclear plants and managing spent nuclear fuel."

A federal court approved Holtec International's plan to release 45,000 gallons of radioactive water into the Hudson River after the company sued to overturn New York's ban. New York's 'Save the Hudson' law, passed unanimously and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, updated environmental regulations and established fines to protect the river. US District Judge Kenneth Karas ruled the ban unconstitutional, saying federal agencies have exclusive authority over discharges from a decommissioned nuclear facility. Indian Point closed in 2021 and was sold to Holtec, which says releases fall under NRC and EPA oversight, while critics argue on-site sealed storage is an alternative. More than 100,000 people draw drinking water from the Hudson.

Read at Mail Online