Manna Jo Greene, an Ulster County legislator and environmental director for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, does not want to see the proposed release of nuclear wastewater from Indian Point into the Hudson River to go forward.

She says standards that deem the proposed discharge safe are outdated.

“And we're also looking into whether or not this could impact communities that take their drinking water from the Hudson," Greene said.

Pat O’Brien, director of communications for Holtec, said the releases are no different from the ones that have been occurring at Indian Point during its entire history.

“It’s the exact same water that's been in the the processed buildings here at Indian Point for 60 years," he said. "Obviously, with with routine discharges over the years, this is the same water that comes from the reactor vessel, the spent fuel pools, the other treatment systems that we have.”

Greene would like to see the water disposed of in a different way. She says the best option would be to not release it at all.

“Stored onsite in double line tanks so that it doesn't leak, with a bladder to contain it so that there's less evaporation," she said.

O’Brien says other options proposed, like evaporating the water or trucking it out of state, would not be any safer. Storing the water would also create long-term issues on the site.

“These type of things that have been done traditionally would help us get to where, I think, the community wants to be with the state, wants to be with, you know, this site totally cleaned up and available for reuse," he said.

For now, the release of about 300,000 gallons of nuclear wastewater has been slated for September, giving more time to determine the best path forward.

The next meeting from the Indian Point Decommissioning Oversight Board will take place June 15.