Westchester: Legislature Opposes Discharge
The Westchester County Legislature on Monday (March 6) unanimously adopted a resolution opposing a plan to empty the spent fuel pools at the Indian Point nuclear power plant near Peekskill into the Hudson River.
On Wednesday, Rockland County legislators did the same, although an effort has stalled in Putnam.
The two resolutions also expressed support for a bill in the state Legislature introduced by Sen. Pete Harckham and Assembly Member Dana Levenberg that would ban any person or company from discharging nuclear waste into the waters of the state.
Holtec International, which is decommissioning Indian Point, has said it plans to discharge the water by early September. Although it would be filtered, the water contains tritium, a radioactive material that is extremely difficult to remove.
The company has not yet announced how much water would be released, although several external estimates have calculated it to be 1 million gallons. Holtec says the radioactivity of the water will be far below allowable federal limits.
Nancy Montgomery, who represents Philipstown and part of Putnam Valley on the Putnam County Legislature, said on Wednesday that she and Legislator William Gouldman, who represents the rest of Putnam Valley, in February proposed a resolution opposing the discharge. However, she said Legislator Amy Sayegh, who chairs the Health, Social, Educational and Environmental Committee, has not responded to requests to put it on the agenda
