A federal judge has cleared the way for Holtec International to release 45,000 gallons of treated radioactive water from the closed Indian Point nuclear plant into the Hudson River, ruling that New York’s 2023 “Save the Hudson” law banning such discharges was unconstitutional.

The court found that only federal agencies like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and EPA have authority over nuclear wastewater releases.

Holtec argues the practice is safe, tightly regulated, and long standard at nuclear facilities, while critics warn it threatens decades of environmental recovery in the Hudson, a source of drinking water for over 100,000 people.

Local officials condemned the decision, saying it risks undoing progress that has restored wildlife and water quality to the river, the Daily Mail has reported.

Holtec says the discharges will be gradual, monitored, and far below federal safety limits.