Millions of gallons of RADIOACTIVE water released into New York’s Hudson River, damning report shows

Radioactive water was discharged into New York’s Hudson River for more than 60 years, releasing millions of gallons each year during its decades of operation.

The long-standing practice at the defunct Indian Point nuclear power plant is coming under renewed scrutiny after a court in 2025 approved a controversial plan to release an additional 45,000 gallons of radioactive water annually from the shuttered facility.

The Daily Mail uncovered a 1970 federal study showing that the plant discharged an average of two to three million gallons of treated wastewater, including treated radioactive waste, each year between 1962 and 2021.

Research into the plant’s environmental impact found that in its early years, millions of fish were killed, largely after being sucked into the plant’s cooling system.

Investigators also documented chemical discharges that exceeded state safety limits and warned that gaps in monitoring made it impossible to ignore toxic releases that could contribute to fish kills.

Tests conducted near the facility also detected measurable increases in radioactivity in water, sediment, vegetation, and fish closest to the discharge sites.

The findings, combined with a newly distributed stakeholder letter from the plant’s current owner, Holtec International, confirming decades-old emissions have intensified concerns about the long-term environmental impact on the Hudson River.

Patrick O’Brien, director of government affairs and communications at Holtec International, which bought the site in 2021, told the Daily Mail: ‘I can’t speak to operations because this involves the previous owners from the 60s.’

‘During our ownership, no releases exceeding federal limits have occurred, and each batch is tested and inspected prior to dilution and discharge.’

The Indian Point nuclear power plant is located along the Hudson River just south of Peekskill. Holtec International acquired the facility shortly after its closure and is currently managing its decommissioning, including handling of stored wastewater and spent nuclear fuel.

A letter distributed recently to stakeholders confirmed that treated radioactive wastewater has been discharged into the Hudson River since the plant’s early years, and that annual environmental and radiation reports have been submitted to federal regulators.

These records show that radioactive materials, including tritium and other radionuclides, were diluted and released into the river following purification processes designed to remove most contaminants before they were discharged.

Federal investigators first examined concerns about the facility’s environmental impact decades ago. A detailed study was initiated in 1970. It comes amid growing public alarm about the impacts of nuclear facilities along the Hudson River.

While the research found no clear evidence that radioactive releases alone caused widespread ecosystem collapse, it did document significant environmental impacts associated with facility operations.

Among the most notable findings was the death of large numbers of fish in the facility’s early years.

Between 1962 and 1970, officials estimate that 1.5 million to 5 million fish died after becoming trapped in intake grates used to draw cooling water from the river.

The report also warned that fish eggs, larvae and other small aquatic organisms could be damaged as they pass through the facility’s cooling systems.

Radioactive water was discharged from the Indian Point nuclear power plant into New York’s Hudson River for more than 60 years, releasing millions of gallons each year during its decades of operation.

Inspectors determined that structural features near intake areas were exacerbating the problem by attracting fish seeking shelter, increasing the risk of them being drawn into the facility.

Beyond mechanical fish kills, officials have raised concerns about the handling of industrial chemicals used at the facility.

Records showed that many chemical discharges exceeded state safety limits, including multiple incidents involving the release of chlorine.

In three cases documented in 1967, state chlorine limits exceeded allowable thresholds for periods ranging from approximately 15 minutes to an hour.

Although these lapses were limited in duration, investigators warned that incomplete monitoring records prevented authorities from verifying whether similar incidents occurred at other times.

The report also noted that gaps in historical monitoring created uncertainty about the full extent of chemical releases into the Hudson River.

Investigators acknowledged that sudden releases of toxic substances, especially during accidents or operational outages, cannot be ignored and can contribute to local fish kills.

Researchers also confirmed that radioactive materials were released into the river during normal operations.

Federal inspectors first examined concerns about the plant’s environmental impacts decades ago and launched a detailed study in 1970 amid growing public alarm about the impacts of nuclear facilities along the Hudson River.

Sampling conducted near the facility detected measurable increases in radioactivity levels in nearby water, sediment, vegetation and fish, particularly in areas closest to the discharge points.

Although these increases were described as relatively small compared to natural background radiation levels, the researchers noted uncertainty in predicting long-term exposure risks to aquatic life.

Officials also warned that the combined effects of chemical discharges, temperature changes and radioactive materials were not fully understood at the time.

The interaction of these factors, especially during sudden release events, may have created local environmental stress that is difficult to measure using current monitoring methods.

Despite these concerns, the report ultimately concluded that widespread, irreversible damage to the Hudson River ecosystem had not been conclusively proven.

But documented fish kills, chemical exceedances and monitoring gaps show measurable harm in certain areas, leaving open the possibility that additional impacts may have occurred, the researchers noted.

Holtec maintained that all wastewater releases under its supervision fell within federal regulatory limits.

The company emphasized that each batch of wastewater is tested and inspected before being discharged, and that any material that fails to meet regulatory standards is reprocessed before being discharged.

Federal records submitted to regulators show that radiation exposure levels recorded between 2005 and 2019 remained well below federal safety thresholds.

Still, critics argue that the cumulative impact of decades of releases (combined with the newly approved plan to discharge additional wastewater) raises ongoing concerns about the long-term health of the Hudson River ecosystem.

Environmental advocates have cited the facility’s long history of fish kills, chemical exceedances and incomplete monitoring records as evidence that its environmental impact will never be fully understood.

The renewed debate comes as the Hudson River continues to recover from decades of industrial pollution with restoration efforts aimed at rebuilding fish populations and improving water quality.

With additional wastewater releases planned in the coming years, regulatory agencies and environmental groups are expected to closely monitor future discharges and their potential impact on one of New York’s most historically significant waterways.