The Greenburgh Town Board unanimously approved the following resolution urging NYS to make it unlawful for the company decommissioning Indian Point to discharge one million gallons of radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River from a spent nuclear fuel pool. There are significant health, safety and economic risks. I hope that every community in NYS will approve similar resolutions and strongly encourage the State Legislature to approve this important action.
Paul Feiner
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING BILL 5181 PENDING IN THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO DISCHARGE ANY RADIOLOGICAL AGENT INTO THE HUDSON RIVER
WHEREAS, the company decommissioning the Indian Point nuclear facility, approximately 30 miles north of Greenburgh, proposes to discharge one (1) million gallons of radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River upstream from Greenburgh from a spent nuclear fuel pool at the Indian Point facility; and;
WHEREAS, Bill 5181 pending in the New York Senate proposes to make it unlawful to discharge any radiological agent into the Hudson River and all other waters of the State of New York, citing “radioactive material poses not only a possible health risk but also a serious economic risk to our communities with potential negative impacts on real estate values” and further citing the need to protect and preserve the state’s water sources; and
WHEREAS, the Town Board agrees with prohibiting discharging radiological agents into the Hudson River and other state water bodies; and WHEREAS, the remedy presently provided in Senate Bill 5181 is monetary fines, enforced by the state Attorney General; and WHEREAS, the Town Board believes that preventing discharge of radiological agents into watercourses in the first place, rather than after-the-fact fines, would be more protective of the public interest;
and WHEREAS, the Town Board believes it would be beneficial and in the public interest if the remedies in Senate Bill 5181 would be broadened to add the right to obtain an injunction, by the State Attorney General, the State Department of Environmental Conservation and any municipality whose residents or environment is potentially affected;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board of Greenburgh respectfully requests the members of the New York State Legislature who represent Greenburgh to seek to broaden the remedies in Senate Bill 5181 to add the right to obtain an injunction, by the State Attorney General, the State Department of Environmental Conservation and any municipality whose residents or environment is potentially affected, and to seek adoption of Senate Bill 5181, as amended, by the New York Senate and Assembly;
and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall transmit a copy of this Resolution to the members of the New York Legislature who represent Greenburgh