New York’s Hudson River May Soon Be Irradiated

The Hudson River is the lifeblood of New York State. Flowing from the Adirondacks in Upstate, all the way to New York Bay, and finally landing at the Atlantic Ocean, this river has been vital to the state of New York for centuries.

Now, a federal ruling may contaminate the river even more than it already has been, and with toxic, radioactive waste nonetheless.

Save the Hudson

In May of 2023, the New York Senate proposed and passed a bill they believed would save the Hudson River from environmental ruin. The proposed bill would make it illegal to discharge radioactive waste into the river, which would come as a result of nuclear power plants across the state being decommissioned.

The passing of this bill was seen as a massive victory, but it didn't last for long. Just a little over two years later, in September of 2025, a Federal Judge shut the act down, and now the state is scrambling to reverse the ruling.

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What Happens Now?

Obviously, the state is not thrilled with this ruling. New York Attorney General Letitia James is attempting to appeal the ruling, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency has been making it difficult.

They say that the radioactive tritium-containing wastewater that is planned to be dumped into he Hudson is well within the safety limits. Environmental activists are none too happy about this. While yes, the program is technically safe, it still adds a level of radiation and contamination that could very well be detrimental to the communities and workers that are in close proximity to the river on a daily basis.