Hochul Signs "Save the Hudson River" Bill"

ALBANY – Governor Kathy Hochul, Friday, signed legislation that will restrict discharges of any radioactive substance into the Hudson River in connection with the decommissioning of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan.

“The Hudson River is one of New York’s landmark natural treasurers, and it’s critical we stand together to protect it for generations to come,” said the governor. “My administration remains committed to protecting the economic vitality of the region and working closely with local communities who have advocated so passionately for this cause.”

The law aims to safeguard communities in the Hudson Valley. The Hochul administration said it will continue to work closely with federal regulators, Holtec, local officials and the State’s Decommissioning Oversight Board to identify feasible and acceptable alternatives of wastewater disposal so that decommissioning Indian Point can continue, jobs can be preserved, and the site can be cleaned up in a safe, thorough, and prompt manner.

Senator Pete Harckham, who sponsored the legislation in the upper house, called it “one of the great environmental victories in state history.”

Dana Levenberg, the Assembly sponsor, said lawmakers “will continue working together in the coming years to ensure a safe and successful decommissioning of Indian Point.”

Senator Rob Rolison, a former mayor of Poughkeepsie, a city that gets its drinking water from the Hudson, called the new law “a victory for the more than 100,000 people who derive their drinking water from the Hudson and the countless others who use the river as a resource for recreation and outdoor activities.”

Source: Mid-Hudson News