Rockland County lawmakers and environmental advocates are demanding urgent action from Governor Kathy Hochul and federal leaders following a federal court decision that struck down New York’s Save the Hudson Act, a law banning the discharge of radioactive wastewater from Indian Point into the Hudson River.
At a press conference held at Haverstraw Bay Park, Environmental Committee Chair Beth Davidson, Vice-Chair Alden Wolfe, and Legislator Paul Cleary joined local leaders and activists to condemn the ruling and call for an appeal. Legislator Davidson said the Hudson River cannot be treated as a dumping ground and warned that Holtec’s plan to release radioactive water is reckless and dangerous. She vowed to stand alongside community leaders and environmental advocates to stop what she called an assault on public health and the environment.
Majority Leader Alden Wolfe said he has spent 20 years fighting corporate polluters and opposed Holtec’s approval to dismantle Indian Point from the outset. He said the court’s decision represents a direct threat to Rockland’s watershed and public health and urged Governor Hochul to appeal while pressing federal leaders to intervene. Legislator Dana Stilley, who represents Rockland’s rivertowns, said her constituents are at particular risk. She cited the dangers of radioactive contaminants linked with cancer, miscarriages, and genetic defects, and reminded those listening that “there is no safe dose of radiation.”
Environmental activists also joined in opposition. Marilyn Elie of the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition said that while the court sided with Holtec, the public has made it clear they oppose radioactive discharges. She said Holtec only cares about profits while thousands of Hudson Valley residents have spoken out against the plan. Local officials, including Haverstraw Supervisor Howard T. Phillips Jr., Village of Haverstraw Trustee Richard Sena, Jacqui Drechsler, and Owl of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, stood in solidarity with the legislators.
On the federal level, Congressman Mike Lawler, who has consistently opposed Holtec’s plans, highlighted his efforts along with Representatives Pat Ryan, Marc Molinaro, and Jamaal Bowman in sending a bipartisan letter earlier this year to Holtec International raising concerns about the company’s decommissioning process at Indian Point. Lawler said the Hudson River is the “pearl of the Hudson Valley” and warned that dumping radioactive water would be a grave threat to millions of New Yorkers. Ryan called Holtec’s attempt to accelerate its dumping timeline “galling,” Molinaro said all actions must prioritize clean water and the health of the Hudson, and Bowman stressed that Holtec has alternatives to dumping, including on-site storage until tritium naturally decays.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day also strongly condemned the ruling, calling it a “travesty” that threatens to undo decades of progress in restoring the Hudson River. Day pointed to the return of bald eagles, sturgeon, and even dolphins as evidence of the river’s recovery and said allowing Holtec to discharge contaminated water would jeopardize both the environment and future generations. Day’s full statement can be read here on Monsey Scoop.
The Save the Hudson Act, passed in 2023 and signed by Governor Hochul, made it illegal to discharge radioactive materials into the Hudson River, with steep fines for violations. The U.S. District Court ruled last week that federal nuclear regulations preempted the state law, effectively stripping New York of its authority on the matter.
For Rockland lawmakers, environmental advocates, and community members, the fight is far from over. They vowed to continue pressing Governor Hochul to appeal the ruling and urging federal officials to step in. “The safety of Hudson Valley families and the health of the Hudson River must come before Holtec’s profits,” said Congressman Ryan.