Oil leaks into Hudson River following explosion at US nuclear plant
Thousands of gallons of oil have leaked into the Hudson River, a day after a loud explosion was heard at a nuclear facility near New York City.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday he was concerned about environmental damage the oil leakage would cause.
On Saturday, an explosion rocked the Indian Point nuclear plant. Officials said the blast was caused after a transformer exploded.
Eyewitnesses reported plumes of fire and smoke at the site.
Cuomo said emergency crews were struggling to contain the leakage and clean up the transformer fluid that spilled from Indian Point 3.
"There's no doubt that oil was discharged into the Hudson River," the governor said. "Exactly how much, we don't know."
"If you are on site, you see an oil sheen all over the area where the transformer went on fire, and it was a significant area that was covered by oil, foam and water," Cuomo said.
Cuomo in the past had called for the plant – located 40 miles (65 km) north of New York City – to be shut down because of its proximity to the populous metropolis.
According to the company running the plant, Entergy Corporation, the affected parts of the facility were "safely shut down" and in "safe and stable condition.”
“The plant’s unit 3 reactor was closed after the explosion but the other one, Unit 2 is still operating,” Entergy Corporation spokesman Jerry Nappi told reporters.
“No threat to public safety at any time,” said the company, attempting to comfort the public as many expressed fears across the state.
People who were nearby the nuclear plant and witnessed the explosion said that there was a large blast followed by fire and then smoke.
The nuclear plant was restarted on Friday after it was shut down for technical repairs.
The plant was built in 1962, but the current reactors operating went online in the late 1970s.
GJH/GJH
Israeli-US estate tycoon brothers charged with decade-long sex trafficking
US, Canadian universities hire Israeli firms to curb pro-Palestinian protests, report says
US nuclear spending cause for concern
How 8-year-old Lebanese child Fawaz nixed Ben Gurion’s 76-year-old fallacy
VIDEO | 700,000 Cubans rally at US embassy in Havana against trade embargo
Iranian embassy staffer assassinated by terrorists in Damascus
VIDEO | Press TV's News Headlines
Scandalous detention of Iranians by US to extort information
VIDEO | Israeli forces open fire on Syrians protesting occupation
Ezzedine al Qassam: the man who inspired armed struggle against Israeli occupation
Yemeni army claims hypersonic missile attack on Tel Aviv
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
