![]() Holtec is responsible for dismantling Pilgrim, which sits on the shore of Cape Cod Bay, and disposing of the remaining radioactive waste produced during the plant’s nearly 50 years of operation. Neil Sheehan, a spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the plant, said that radioactive emissions from the evaporation “were well within federal limits,” according to data collected by Holtec and reviewed by federal inspectors. “This is just another statement of the degree to which Holtec is disinterested in being a constructive part of a community process,” said Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. The dispute went public this week when an anonymous letter writer, claiming to have inside knowledge of the plant, said the installation of the heaters was a ruse, a means to dispose of the waste water through evaporation without first notifying the public.īut activists viewed the unannounced evaporation as the latest example of what they regard as the company’s lack of transparency. ![]() ![]() "I am vetoing this section as the commission's work would be duplicative of, and would interfere with, ongoing work on waste disposal and decommissioning issues by the responsible federal and state agencies," Baker wrote in his veto message.The activists made the accusation early this month, in emails to Holtec’s federal regulator, after an inspection report revealed the heaters’ installation and determined that their use was appropriate. Charlie Baker struck down the formation of a commission to examine the potential negative environmental effects of dumping radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. "This process has already delayed the completion of the project for an additional four years, impacted the workforce on site and further changes when the site can be returned to be an economic driver for the Plymouth Community." "We will continue with the EPA modification process and will look to evaluate all options related to ultimate disposition of the water used in plant operations for the last 50 years," Holtec Director of Government Affairs and Communications Patrick O'Brien said Monday. "This is a fantastic example of government working for the people," she said.Ī Holtec spokesman said the company was disappointed by the state's denial of its permit modification "for discharge of treated water from Pilgrim Station well within safe limits" and that the issue has extended the timeline for Pilgrim's decommissioning. Moran also praised the Healey administration for the decision. It has been APCC's priority to prevent this discharge from happening and we developed the solid legal analysis relied upon by DEP in the formulation of this tentative permit decision." "Holtec sought to profit at the expense of the people, environment and economy of Cape Cod and, like most corporate bullies, needed to be told no. " is gratified that the Healey-Driscoll administration is doing the right thing in moving to deny this reckless and illegal proposal," Cape-based environmental nonprofit APCC Executive Director Andrew Gottlieb said. The draft determination denying the permit modification requires a 30-day public comment period before MassDEP can finalize the decision, the agency said, noting a comment period is open through 5 p.m. In April, Holtec International filed an application to modify its existing decommissioning permit to allow the company to discharge wastewater from the plant's spent nuclear-fuel pool - which contains some radioactive material - into the bay. State regulators have denied a permit modification sought by the company in charge of decommissioning the nuclear power plant in Plymouth to discharge 1.1 million gallons of industrial wastewater into Cape Cod Bay.Īfter years of local opposition to the company's discharge plan, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the draft determination Monday, stating that Cape Cod Bay is a protected ocean sanctuary under the state's Ocean Sanctuaries Act, which prohibits dumping industrial waste into protected state waters. State rejects effort to dump nuclear plant waste into Cape Cod Bay 00:28īy Sam Drysdale, State House News Service
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