Indian Point Decommissioning Raises Public Health Concerns

Holtec International’s decommissioning plan would release radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River. Photo by Lauryn Starke 23’.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, New York is set to begin a decommissioning plan in August of 2023. The plan involves discharging one million gallons of radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River, raising concerns about the potential environmental and public health impacts.

Holtec International, the company that owns the plant and will execute the decommissioning plan, claimed that dumping the wastewater into the river is the “best option” for handling the remnants of radioactive chemicals. Though the idea of introducing radioactive waste into waterways sounds disturbing to Hudson Valley residents, it is a standard practice in shutting down nuclear facilities.

One of the primary concerns of Hudson Valley communities is how the wastewater could affect public resources, including drinking water and wildlife in the Hudson River. The water that will be discharged from the plant contains tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen that is a byproduct of nuclear fission. Ingesting high levels of tritium has been linked to cancer; pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable to complications from coming into contact with tritium.

According to Holtec International, the wastewater containing tritium is highly diluted to a low enough concentration that it is unlikely to cause health issues.

“When you think about environmental pollution and environmental contaminants [including tritium] it’s always about concentration,” said Dr. Zion Klos, professor of environmental science at Marist College. Dr. Klos explained that many radioactive chemicals are naturally occurring, and humans are regularly exposed to them at low concentrations.

“What we’re really watching out for is ‘is the concentration high enough that we feel like it’s a concern to individuals or more at risk individuals,” Dr. Klos said.

Activist groups in the Hudson Valley, including Riverkeeper, are pushing for alternative methods of disposal that don’t call for introducing waste into the Hudson. There are two viable alternatives: transferring the radioactive waste to a different site or storing the chemicals at Indian Point and allowing them to decay over time. But these alternatives come with their own downsides.

Dr. Klos explained that shipping the waste comes with the risk of spills and accidents during transport, which could release higher levels of tritium into other communities. The chemicals could end up in “someone else’s backyard,” as Dr. Klos put it, which calls into question issues about environmental justice and why it is acceptable to expose other communities to potential health dangers over Hudson Valley communities.

Containing the radioactive waste onsite at Indian Point also has drawbacks, including the threat of dangers to the area close to the plant, and the expensive costs of storing the waste onsite.

“If you kept it on site, you may have issues with it getting into the groundwater,” Dr. Klos said. “There’s always a risk of it getting into the groundwater and drinking water options.”

Holtec’s decommissioning plan would release concentrations of tritium that are below the level required by federal standards, but some environmental groups believe those standards are insufficient to protect the Hudson River and its surrounding communities.

According to Dr. Klos, there is insufficient data on the effects of tritium to know how it would impact ecosystems in the Hudson River. “Maybe it’s fine for people, but it’s not fine for aquatic [species].” As species on the food chain come into contact with chemicals like tritium, the concentration increases with each step up the food chain.

“Most chemical issues in the hudson don’t actually show up from people breathing or exposed to that chemical,” Dr. Klos said.  “Most of it is from bioaccumulation in animals, particularly fish that people eat. There is a good population of people that don’t just fish for sport but also fish to supplement their income and their diet.”

The potential health risks of the decommissioning plan remain uncertain, but Hudson Valley residents have the opportunity to voice their concerns at public meetings about the plan. The next meeting will take place on April 27 at Cortlandt Town Hall, and the public is encouraged to attend virtually or in-person to say their piece on the plan.