Indian Point plant owner will hold off on dumping radioactive water in the Hudson

The company in charge of decommissioning the now-defunct Indian Point nuclear power plant has decided to hold off on a planned discharge of wastewater into the Hudson River following outcry from local and federal officials.

Holtec International sparked backlash from officials, environmentalists and residents earlier this year when it announced plans to dump 1 million gallons of radioactive water into the river near Buchanan, a small village in northern Westchester County.

But in a letter to the state body tasked with decommissioning Indian Point, Holtec said it would pause its plans for the time being.

“Following conversations with key state stakeholders, who wish to allow for additional public education, we have decided not to go forward with the planned discharge in early May,” reads a letter from Patrick O’Brien, Holtec's director of government affairs and communications.

“While Holtec notes that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ultimate authority over radiological liquid releases at Indian Point and at other sites across the country, we hope this voluntary pause will be viewed positively as an indication of our willingness to work together with the state and with the surrounding community,” the letter continues.

The company’s decision to halt its plans is the latest development in the long-running series of controversies surrounding Indian Point, which closed two years ago. In 2017, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the phase-out of the plant, which is located about 35 miles from New York City and supplied a quarter of the city's power at the time.

But shuttering a nuclear plant is a complex process, and it is fairly typical for plants to dump water with some radioactive waste.

Holtec received about $2.4 billion in funds, shouldered by utility customers, to decommission the plant. And it wants to do so in 12 years, in line with Buchanan's wishes to repurpose the site. But Holtec and the surrounding community are still debating what to do with Indian Point’s radioactive remnants.

Officials expressed relief at Holtec's decision to pause its plans this week.

“The lack of transparency and inadequate communications with the public about this plan have been unacceptable, and our constituents’ concerns about the composition of the water cannot be overlooked,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. She and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently sent a letter to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission about their concerns.

Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, who represents residents in the surrounding areas, said she was “relieved” at the decision.

“I am committed as ever to ensuring that the needs of my constituents are respected throughout this process, and urge everyone to maintain their engagement on this issue as it continues to develop,” she said in a statement.

Rosemary Misdary contributed reporting.