Nuclear plant owners to clean up oil spill in Hudson River

Steve Lieberman and Matt Spillane | (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News

Show Caption Hide Caption VIDEO: Indian Point Energy Center transformer explosion, May 9, 2015 A transformer exploded and caught fire at Indian Point Energy Center today.

BUCHANAN, N.Y. -- The owners of Indian Point are planning to clean up several thousand gallons of oil that potentially spilled into the Hudson River after a Saturday night transformer explosion and fire.

The fire, which began at 5:50 p.m., sent smoke billowing into the air and oil overflowing the plant's moat, said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"The plant's fire suppression system automatically sprayed water on the transformer fire," Sheehan said Sunday. "Oil made its way into the drains and into the water. Several thousand gallons may have overflowed the transformer moat."

The fire didn't cause the release of any radiation and didn't pose a threat to workers or the public, according to a statement by Entergy Corp, the owner of the nuclear power plant. The transformers are used to step up power produced by the plant before it is transmitted to the grid.

Entergy did not return requests for comment Sunday.

Indian Point has a history of transformer mishaps, but nothing life-threatening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a news conference Sunday afternoon at the facility. After Saturday's fire, one of the two plants was shut down, and remains closed. The other is fully operational.

Safety, security and environmental concerns at Indian Point remain a top priority, given the nuclear facility's location on the vibrant Hudson River, Cuomo said.

Saturday's oil leak left a sheen of 75-by-100 feet just south of the two reactors, and is likely expanding, said Joseph Martens, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The transformer contained 80,000 gallons of oil and the spewed fluid overflowed the containment tanker, Martens said. The excess oil entered the plant's drainage system and discharged into the Hudson River.

"There is no doubt that oil was discharged into the Hudson River," Cuomo said. "Exactly how much, we don't know. That will be part of an ongoing investigation."

Martens said cleanup could take up to several days. He said absorbent booms were in the water, cordoning off two areas outside the plant.

U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Westchester, said Sunday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should not renew Indian Point's license for their reactors.

"This latest episode proves that Indian Point remains a serious threat to public health and safety," Lowey said in a statement. "We are extremely fortunate that a catastrophic scenario did not unfold, and I urge officials to conduct a swift and thorough investigation."

The Hudson Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group, called for the closure of the plant.

"It's time to close Indian Point and move on," Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay said.

Entergy has environmental contractors for the clean up, Sheehan said. The DEC is working with the contractors, Martens said.

The fire was first declared out at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday, but flames rekindled at 6:37 p.m., Sheehan said. Firefighters from Verplanck and Buchanan entered the plant and used foam to put out the blaze, which was extinguished by 8:05 p.m.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors went to the plant Saturday night and will be reviewing what caused the transformer fire. Sheehan said the initial inspection found the plant's procedures and fire-suppression system worked.

Indian Point classified the explosion and fire as an "unusual event," the lowest of four levels of emergency classification used by the regulatory agency, Sheehan said. He said the explosion and fire was considered "unusual" because it occurred within the plant's fenced-in protected area.