MassDEP hosting public meeting in Plymouth on denial of Holtec permit

PLYMOUTH − The state Department of Environmental Protection will host a public hearing in Plymouth to discuss the agency’s tentative denial of Holtec’s permit modification request to dispose of 1.1 million gallons of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station wastewater into Cape Cod Bay.

The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at Plymouth Town Hall, 26 Court St. The public comment period will last through 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Save Our Bay/Cape Downwinders will host a rally supporting the denial outside the town hall beginning at 5 p.m. Holtec, which is overseeing the decommissioning of the plant, submitted its request for the groundwater surface discharge permit modification in March.

If the permit is approved, wastewater from the plant’s spent fuel pool, torus, dryer separator and reactor cavity would be treated and released in batches over time into the bay.

The reason for not allowing the discharges after the plant had been allowed to do so stems from Pilgrim’s change in status from an active power-generating facility to a defunct industrial site. The plant opened in 1972 and closed in 2019.

More:Activists, lawmakers applaud state's rejection of nuke wastewater discharge into bay

The state’s denial cited the Ocean Sanctuaries Act, which does not allow industrial wastewater to be discharged into protected bodies of water.

The company’s current permit followed a settlement agreement with the state from when Holtec bought the plant. As part of that agreement, Holtec said it would follow all applicable state laws.

Alternatives to the discharge include trucking the water to an out-of-state storage facility at a cost of $20 million, said Holtec President and CEO Kris Singh, or storing it on-site, which would extend the timeline for when the site could be released for other uses.

The overriding concern about the wastewater centers on tritium, a low-level radionuclide that is nearly impossible to filter out due to its chemical similarity to water.

While registration isn’t required for the public hearing, the Department of Environmental Protection is asking for RSVPs to give organizers an idea of how many people plan to attend the meeting and how many wish to speak.

To register, search online for “Mass DEP Holtec public comment.”

Comments may be emailed to [email protected] (subject line: Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station).

Mailed comments should be addressed to Cathy Coniaris, MassDEP, 100 Cambridge St., Boston, MA 02114.