By Art Desloges
In the process of decommissioning the Plymouth Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, Holtec International, the decommissioning company, must dispose of 1.1 million gallons of water containing radionuclides and other contaminants. This nuclear waste is harmful to human health, the environment, and the economy. This health threat extends hundreds of miles around Plymouth and could last thousands of years.
For the past two years, Holtec has sought to dispose of this radioactive water by dumping it into Cape Cod Bay. Grassroots groups and elected officials banded together to stop Holtec from this discharge. These grassroots groups compelled State regulators to consider the health impact to the surrounding community and environmental harm. This resulted in the MA Department of Environmental Protection issuing an interim denial to discharge this contaminated water into Cape Cod Bay. A permanent ruling is in process.
At first, this appeared to be a success story for environmental justice--a process that requires that those groups that are impacted by a policy decision get real and meaningful input into the decision.
However, it was recently uncovered through a whistleblower letter, that Holtec is force evaporating this radioactive water into the public air. They installed industrial grade water heaters to heat the contaminated water forcing accelerated evaporation. The Plymouth Board of Health has stated that this is a threat to human health.
We must permanently stop Holtec from this forced evaporation of radioactive water now or in the future. Holtec is bound to comply with the MA Clean Air Act. We need the Governor of Massachusetts to investigate violations of this Act by Holtec and stop them from these emissions.
Please join us and sign the petition asking the Governor to immediately investigate this matter and stop Holtec from contaminating our air and jeopardizing our health. The MA Sierra Club supports this petition.