OSSINING, NY: State Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg has released the following statement regarding news that Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the “Save the Hudson” bill into law: (https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-bill-protect-hudson-river-indian-point-decommissioning-wastewater)

“Today, Governor Hochul has signed Assembly Bill 7208/Senate Bill 6893, also known as the “Save the Hudson” bill, into law. The signing of this legislation is a major victory for so many in the Hudson Valley. It comes after months of advocacy, including countless rallies and press conferences, dozens of municipal resolutions, and petitions signed by between 400-500,000 New York State residents.

More constituents reached out to my office regarding the discharge of nuclear waste into the Hudson than any other issue this session. From the beginning, I have taken these concerns seriously. But getting this law passed was not easy. We faced, and continue to face, opposition from a large corporation that is working very hard to protect its bottom line. This opposition has taken many forms over the past few months. Nevertheless, as the Assemblywoman representing the communities surrounding Indian Point, I remain undeterred.

Today I say thank you to the Governor and her office for carefully considering this legislation, and to my colleagues at the federal, state and local levels for their support. Special thanks to the Senate sponsor of this legislation, Senator Pete Harckham, and to the Town of Cortlandt for organizing the massive Rally to Save the River in May. I am also incredibly grateful to Riverkeeper, Food & Water Watch, and the many grassroots advocates who dedicated countless hours alongside us legislators working to get this legislation passed.

So many people in the Hudson Valley showed up to this fight determined to protect the river that defines our region, and we will continue working together in the coming years to ensure a safe and successful decommissioning of Indian Point. That includes ensuring that the Indian Point workforce is not subjected to retaliatory treatment in response to this legislation. We know from discussions at previous Decommissioning Oversight Board meetings that discharging this water is not on the critical path to decommissioning, and that layoffs should not therefore be an inevitable result of this legislation.

I always say that my mission as a legislator is to build healthy communities in every sense of the word. Protecting the Hudson River is critical to ensuring environmentally, economically, physically and mentally healthy Hudson Valley communities. I remain committed to this mission and encourage residents of the Hudson Valley to maintain their engagement on this and other issues."