Power Out: Decommissioning Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant
In this episode of Equity in Every Drop, Victoria Leung, a staff attorney for Hudson Riverkeeper, and Richard Webster, former legal director and current outside counsel for Hudson Riverkeeper, join to discuss the controversial history and closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in upstate New York.
The conversation delves into the safety concerns, environmental impacts, and years-long advocacy that led to the plant’s decommissioning. Host Thomas Hynes, who has a personal connection to the area, guides listeners through the intricacies of nuclear power regulation, the significant threats posed by plant operations, and the complicated process of shutting it down.
The episode also highlights the ongoing challenges of decommissioning, including dealing with radioactive waste and ensuring local communities transition smoothly after the plant's closure. The dialogue underscores the importance of state involvement and transparent, community-driven oversight in handling nuclear facilities.
Creators and Guests
Host
Thomas Hynes
Thomas Hynes is the Communications and Marketing Manager for Waterkeeper Alliance. In addition to podcast hosting and production duties, he manages and writes all sorts of editorial content for the organization, including blogs, feature articles, advocacy alerts, email campaigns, social media content, and more. Thomas grew up on the Long Island Sound in Connecticut and now makes his home two blocks from the East River in Brooklyn, New York. He primarily commutes across the river to the Waterkeeper Alliance office via ferry boat. Thomas was drawn to environmental work in order to take an active role in the fight against climate change and help bring justice to the rotten polluters who seek to ruin our shared resources. Before working at Waterkeeper Alliance, Thomas wrote a nonfiction book about the history of wildlife in New York City. "Wild City" also highlights the power and success of the Clean Water Act, and other environmental regulations, in leading an unlikely ecological turnaround. In his spare time, Thomas photographs the many tugboats traversing the city’s various waterways. Thomas lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their son. They can be found most weekends walking or biking along the East River.
Producer
Lori Harrison
Lori Harrison is the Communications and Marketing Director for Waterkeeper Alliance. She oversees multi-faceted communications and marketing activities to advance the organization’s mission of protecting our right to clean water in communities around the world. With 25 years of experience in strategic water communications and mission-based work, Lori is an award-winning writer and content creator. Her expertise lies in translating complex concepts into relatable ideas, fostering engagement, and promoting sustainable practices and solutions. Her work not only aims to protect clean water, public health, and the environment but also focuses on "connecting the disconnect" between people and this essential resource. Before joining Waterkeeper Alliance, Lori had a background in corporate marketing for professional sports and held various communications and creative positions with a non-profit educational organization for global water professionals. Notable achievements include creating the WATER'S WORTH IT® grassroots awareness campaign and writing the award-winning children's book, “Why Water's Worth It,” designed to educate and inspire the next generation of water protectors. Lori lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children.
Guest
Richard Webster
Richard Webster is an attorney with over 20 years of experience concentrating in environmental litigation, in addition to 10 years of experience as an environmental consultant and expert. He has litigated in federal courts around the country, as well as state courts in New York and New Jersey. He has represented numerous environmental groups and municipalities on a wide variety of issues, including nuclear power plants, pollution from a variety of industries, including coal plants and gas extraction, worker safety, and land use. He is also a member of New York’s Decommissioning Oversight Board that oversees the decommissioning of Indian Point. Richard has had considerable experience representing environmental groups on water and other issues. He pioneered the use of litigation regarding coal ash and fracking to both clean up water and reduce climate change impacts. He also litigated the relicensing of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant and an environmental justice issue regarding the Indian Point relicensing. Richard prides himself on being able to place his clients in a strong position in litigation and then finding creative solutions to solve the client’s problem. Before becoming an attorney, Richard was an expert hydrologist and environmental scientist. Richard received his J.D. in 2002 from Columbia University Law School, where he was the Articles Editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, a Kent Scholar, and a Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar. He earned a Master’s Degree in 1989 from London University in Engineering Hydrology and a B.A. in Physics from Oxford University in England.
Guest
Victoria Leung
Victoria joined Riverkeeper as an Staff Attorney in June 2019 after completing a fellowship at PennFuture, an environmental advocacy organization focused on Pennsylvania. Victoria earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2018. During law school, she held clerkships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, PA and the Department of Justice – Environmental Enforcement Section in Washington, D.C. In addition, she served as the Managing Production Editor of the Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law. Prior to law school, Victoria received her B.A. in History and Philosophy and B.S. in Psychology, magna cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh. She also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Legal Assistance of Western NY in Rochester, NY.
