Company decommissioning Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station may dump water without permit
PLYMOUTH - Activists on the South Shore are angry over the latest message from Holtec, the company decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. Holtec wants to dump radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, something it insists is safe and legal.
A representative for Holtec says it is now working with the EPA to amend its permits so it can dump the wastewater.
The plant has been shut down since 2019, but more than one million gallons of radioactive wastewater remains in pools inside.
During a meeting Monday night, David Noyes, Holtec's senior compliance manager, said the company believes it is already legally allowed to dump the water. The EPA has signaled amending the permit may be the smoothest road ahead.
When asked if there would be no discharge prior to the resolution of the permit issue, Noyes said, "I can't say that."
Noyes said tests taken seven years ago show the radioactivity is well below federal limits. He said Holtec has dumped in the bay in the past without any issues.