Is nuclear plant 'industrial wastewater' OK to put in Cape Cod Bay? State decides.

There will be no release of treated wastewater from the former Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station into Cape Cod Bay, the state Department of Environmental Protection has decreed.

In a final determination handed down Thursday, the state agency denied a proposal by Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC to discharge up to 1.1 million gallons of industrial wastewater — treated beforehand, but still containing some radionuclides — from the shuttered Plymouth power plant.

Working in consultation with the state Office of Coastal Zone Management, the state environmental agency identified Cape Cod Bay as "a protected ocean sanctuary as defined under the Massachusetts Ocean Sanctuaries Act," which the agency noted "prohibits the dumping or discharge of industrial wastes into protected state waters."

"The water that Holtec proposes to discharge qualifies as industrial wastewater, and therefore, the proposed discharge is prohibited," the agency found.

Holtec responds to denied permit modification

Holtec International's Director of Government Affairs and Communications Patrick O'Brien in an emailed statement commented, "we are disappointed by the decision by MA Department of Environmental Protection to deny our application to modify the Pilgrim nuclear site surface water discharge permit."

"Treated water has been discharged within safe limits since the plant began operations in 1972 and today’s denial will continue to delay the decommissioning and economic reuse of the Pilgrim lands," he stated.

And now, "we will continue to evaluate all disposal options for the treated wastewater and the effect this decision has on our timeline to fully decommission the facility.”

Sen. Moran: 'Not one drop in Cape Cod Bay'

The state agency's final determination, meanwhile, was applauded Thursday by state Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, whose district comprises several towns that touch Cape Cod Bay, including Plymouth, Kingston and the Cape Cod towns of Bourne and Sandwich. Moran's district also includes Mashpee, Falmouth, Pembroke and Plympton.

"Holtec had a history of really trying to color outside of the lines of the really crucial Massachusetts Ocean Sanctuaries Act. This decision by MassDEP really is in complete validation that government works," she said. "This is a wonderful culmination on the part of so many that I've been privileged to be a part of leadership on, since before I've been a senator."

She recounted her early involvement when she proclaimed, "Not one drop in Cape Cod Bay."

"The next step is continued vigilance," Moran said, noting that evaporation of the material "shouldn't be the alternative."

Looking at the bigger picture, she said, the federal government needs to put more resources into ensuring the safe decommissioning of power stations that use nuclear energy.

Environmental warriors: A 'big win' for Cape Cod

Association to Preserve Cape Cod Executive Director Andrew Gottlieb called the state environmental agency's decision "a huge victory for the protection of Cape Cod Bay."

"As importantly, it's a validation of the fact that local concerns do have a role," he said. "It is proof of the fact that if you fight for your environmental rights, even against a big corporation like Holtec, you can win."

Earlier in 2024:Wastewater from closed Plymouth nuclear plant continues to evaporate. What's the plan?

Diane Turco, director of the Cape Downwinders organization, agreed.

"We applaud the state and Gov. Healey and her team for rightly denying Holtec the permit," said Turco, who has been concerned about issues related to the power plant since the '80s and in recent years about its decommissioning. "It's clearly against the Ocean Sanctuaries Act. This is awesome news that the state is stepping up to protect the public and the environment."

But the effort to ensure there is no release of radionuclides — byproducts of nuclear reactions — into the environment is not finished, she cautioned.

"The next step is to take action to prohibit forced evaporation (of the wastewater), because the Ocean Sanctuaries Act also includes gaseous materials," Turco said, pointing out that because of prevailing winds, 60% of evaporated material would end up over Cape Cod Bay.

Other alternatives include storing the wastewater on-site for at least the next 60 years, or transporting it elsewhere, she said. But transport assumes there is a safe location to take it to, and could present environmental justice issues, Turco noted.

Shut down since 2019

Electricity production at the former Pilgrim Power Station was shut down in May 2019. As part of decommissioning the plant, Holtec applied to the state Department of Environmental Protection for a modification of the plant's surface water discharge permit with an eye toward releasing the 1.1 million gallons of treated wastewater into the bay.

The draft decision on that application was handed down last July, touching off a public comment period and review of more than 1,000 public comments.

The state agency issued its final determination after holding a public hearing and public comment period and conducting an extensive review of the more than 1,000 comments received. The final determination can be found at tinyurl.com/PilgrimFinalDetermination, and the public comments are available at tinyurl.com/PilgrimHoltecComments

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT

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