Decommissioning Indian Point: Essential for Our Hudson River
A view of the Hudson River. Miles Glenn via Flickr
At Marist, the beautiful Hudson River is a part of everyday life; students will find themselves gazing at the iconic view seen through the windows in the library, or President Weinman and Lewis Pugh may find themselves swimming in it. But it’s not as glamorous as the daily Instagram sunset pics make it out to be.
For over 50 years, Indian Point Energy Center, a nuclear power plant in Buchanan, NY has been discharging water containing trace amounts of tritium into the Hudson. This radioactive waste is quite mobile in biological systems and the environment, creating health concerns for flora and fauna alike. Although tritium is not found to be detrimental to aquatic life, this radioactive waste has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in humans as well as birth defects and miscarriages.
Indian Point shut down in 2021 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was an advocate for its closing even before taking office. But this nuclear power plant was then transferred to Holtec International for decommissioning, which is said to take 12 years. Permitted to discharge water from spent fuel pools into the Hudson as part of the decommissioning, Holtec’s actions are still a concern for the environment.
Backlash rose for those who were in protest of Indian Point’s shutdown as they exclaimed that it would do more harm than good. To this point, sure – many times when nuclear plants are closed, fossil fuel usage tends to increase. But those who advocated for the shutdown did not stop their protest.
An uproar from communities along the river and environmental activist groups have spurred policy change from Gov. Kathy Hochul. After working closely with Holtec, New York’s Decommissioning Oversight Board, and local officials to identify alternatives for wastewater disposal, Hochul signed into law the “Save the Hudson” bill stopping Holtec from discharging water into the river. This legislation was passed unanimously in the State Assembly and Senate in June.
On New York’s quest for clean energy and a healthier planet, this is only but a baby step that must be taken.
The move was met with opposition by a number of New Yorkers who are concerned the plant’s decommissioning will put many out of work. Many who disagree with the bill highlight the number of “critical blue-collar jobs” the power plants hold for the community. Yet Hochul has made it clear that this legislation will focus on both alternatives to wastewater disposal as well as preserving jobs. Even after Hochul vocalized her goals for the future of the energy plant to the public, people still use the argument that supporting the workers and their families is more important than cleaning our waters.
This type of attitude toward beneficial changes is what prevents much-needed change. To avert the most harmful effects of climate change, people must constantly take a stand to protect the Earth. Although losing jobs is damaging for families, if we do not take immediate action to mitigate our negative impact on the environment, there will be no world to live or work on. Saving the Earth from all we have put it through is almost impossible, but preventing further damage is feasible.
If the seniors at Marist want to take a quick dip in the Hudson before leaving, it may just be in our best benefit to support the action taken by Gov. Hochul to decommission Indian Point.