Governor Hochul Announces $15 Million for Indian Point Host Communities and Environmental Projects

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the State has awarded $15 million for local infrastructure projects, job training, decommissioning monitoring, and environmental research in the host communities of the former Indian Point nuclear power plant. The awards were made possible by New York's legal settlement with Entergy, the former owner of Indian Point, as part of its 2017 agreement to close the aging nuclear power plant.

"This funding is part of a comprehensive approach to ensure that Indian Point's closure does not translate to a lack of investment in the region," said Governor Hochul. "My administration is committed to working with unions and local leaders for a transition that strengthens the local economy, treats workers fairly, and protects the environment of New York State."

"I thank Governor Hochul for accelerating these awards," Chair of the Indian Point Closure Task Force Tom Congdon said. "We can now maximize other funds coming into the region, help workers affected by the plant's closure, continue critical research on the Hudson River that was at risk of interruption, and provide more financial certainty to the impacted local governments that need to plan for large infrastructure projects."

Award notification letters were sent today to the Town of Cortlandt and Village of Buchanan, Historic Hudson Valley, Teamsters Local 456, Hendrick Hudson School District, and Hudson River Foundation for the following projects:

Town of Cortlandt and Village of Buchanan: $7 million

• To support the planning of four intermunicipal sewer projects, including the refurbishing and expansion of the Buchanan Wastewater Treatment Plant and the connection of a new sewer district in Montrose, designed to leverage up to approximately $10 million in additional state monies.

Hudson River Foundation: $6.5 million

• For the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program, which consists of funding for a variety of research efforts to continue monitoring the status of fish populations in the Hudson River and the food sources (lower food web) for Hudson River fishes. This program was previously funded by Entergy prior to the plant's closure and included in the Settlement Agreement as a priority project to be funded.

Historic Hudson Valley: $750,000

• For historical and environmental integrity improvements to museum property and to leverage a $3 million Federal Highway Administration grant that would otherwise be lost for the Van Cortlandt Manor Gateway Project.

Hendrick Hudson School District: $500,000

• To purchase and operate air monitoring equipment at the Buchanan-VerplanckElementary School during decommissioning.

Teamsters Local 456: $250,000

• To purchase a commercial driver training simulator that will provide training and new job skills to union members.

Senator Pete Harckham said, "The announcement today is good news for residents of the communities that are most impacted by the closure of the Indian Point Energy Center. These significant investments in infrastructure will assist in economic redevelopment in the impacted communities. There are also important investments being made in environmental safety, job training and historical preservation. I applaud Governor Hochul for these important investments."

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef said, "This agreement is a win-win for the local communities, jobs development, and the protection of the environment along the Hudson River. With the $15 million distribution of the Community Fund relating to the Indian Point settlement, I want to thank Governor Hochul for the state's financial support to the communities that I represent that have hosted the nuclear plants for decades."

County Executive George Latimer said, "This is another example of what good government can do when we come together to do good. Thanks to these funds these needed infrastructure projects will see shovels in the ground. That is good news for Westchester residents, as we all benefit from improved water, air and physical infrastructure, and good news for Westchester's workforce because these funds can directly lead to more jobs."

Village of Buchanan Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker said, "The Village of Buchanan would like to thank Governor Hochul and the Indian Point Closure Task Force for this award, which will allow the Village of Buchanan to do much needed upgrades to our aging Wastewater Plant and prepare us for the future of our community."

Town of Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi said, "On behalf of the Town of Cortlandt, I would like to thank Governor Hochul and the Task Force for providing key resources to support our clean water infrastructure, expand opportunities for new businesses in our community, and sewer opportunities for our current businesses in our area."

Teamsters Local 456 President Louis Picani said, "I would like to thank Governor Hochul and the Indian Point Task Force for securing this award, which will allow the workforce at the Indian Point facility to receive the necessary training to transition into essential professional driving careers."

Superintendent of Hendrick Hudson School District Joseph Hochreiter said, "On behalf of the Hendrick Hudson school community, we thank Governor Hochul and the Task Force. Their commitment to provide $500,000 will enable us to provide added decommissioning safety measures and assurances in our school facilities."

SVP of the Historic Hudson Valley Peter Pockriss said, "We're most appreciative of this pivotal funding, which will leverage Federal dollars and make possible environmental and infrastructure improvements that will ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of visitors to Van Cortlandt Manor."

Riverkeeper's boat captain and Vice President for Advocacy John Lipscomb said, "Riverkeeper is very pleased by New York State's decision to support a diverse set of projects, communities and individuals via the Indian Point Community and Environmental Fund. We're particularly gratified to see funding to continue the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program, which was funded for decades by power plants to measure their destructive impact on the Hudson River ecosystem. As one of the world's most comprehensive continuous fish population surveys, it is critical to ongoing efforts to restore depleted fish populations."

Today's announcement is the latest example of the State working collaboratively with the local taxing jurisdictions, legislators, unions, and community leaders to responsibly transition the region's economy following the plant's closure in April 2021. This year's enacted budget included sufficient funding authorization to provide seven years of transitional grant assistance to the County of Westchester, Town of Cortlandt, Village of Buchanan, and the Hendrick Hudson School District under the State's Electric Generation Facility Cessation Mitigation Program administered by Empire State Development.

More than $100 million is projected to be awarded over seven years to these taxing jurisdictions, providing them time to adjust to the loss of approximately $32 million per year that had been paid by Entergy when the plant was operating.