Albany, NY – State Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg has released the following statement to clarify the status of Assembly Bill 7208, a bill that would prohibit radiological discharges into the Hudson River in connection with the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant: 

“Though the Senate version of this bill, S6893, passed unanimously with bipartisan support Friday night in the other chamber, A7208 was laid aside for debate yesterday due to last-minute objections by the Assembly Minority Leader and his conference. The Speaker has indicated to me that we will be coming back in the very near future to take up this bill and others in a special session. This bill is a priority for me and my colleagues and we will get it over the finish line.

More than 30 municipalities and thousands of my constituents have reached out to my office to oppose the plan to discharge nuclear waste into the Hudson. I am so grateful to all of our local advocates, Senator Pete Harckham, my Assembly co-sponsors, and the entire State Senate for standing with our Hudson River communities. We have worked so hard, for so long, to make the Hudson River a premier destination to live, work, and play, and people are concerned about returning to the bad old days of treating our rivers like industrial dumping grounds. We cannot ignore their concerns.”