With State Budget Looming Senator Murphy Renews Call To Help Hudson Valley Communities Near Indian Point

ALBANY, NY - As lawmakers in Albany make their final push for an on-time budget, one Hudson Valley lawmaker is renewing his call to provide assistance to the area surrounding the Indian Point Power Plant. Senator Terrence Murphy, who represents the Village of Buchanan, Town of Cortlandt and surrounding areas says this year's budget must include provisions to address the many concerns facing his local communities.

"There are a number of issues that New York State must address in preparation of the proposed closure of Indian Point," Senator Murphy said. "My colleagues in the Assembly, as well as Governor Cuomo, must recognize the dire situation the Hendrick Hudson School District, the Village of Buchanan and the Town of Cortlandt face as a result of the closure of Indian Point. Not to mention the ripple affect to local businesses and homeowners."

In a stunning announcement this past January, Governor Cuomo announced a deal had been struck to close the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. With no clear plan to address the financial hit for the local school district or municipalities, two public hearings have been held to gather more information for the public.

Westchester County Legislator John Testa said, "Working together with Senator Murphy and other stakeholders in the region, we will continue to address the issues raised by the closing of Indian Point. Our immediate goal must be to formulate a plan that will address the impact on jobs, tax revenues, safety and the loss of generated energy. I hope the final budget includes the necessary measures to address these and other concerns."

Last week, Senator Murphy announced provisions in the Senate's one-house budget that would address many of the concerns local officials and residents have expressed. Language included a proposal for a study to determine how to repurpose the 240 acres currently home to Indian Point; establishing a reserve fund for the Hendrick Hudson School District to stabilize the fiscal impact of the closure of Indian Point; retraining for workers at Indian Point for the decommissioning work; and exit physicals for workers.

Joseph Hochreiter, Superintendent of the Hendrick Hudson School District said, "Since the closure of Indian Point was announced, Senator Murphy has been in constant contact with me as a fierce advocate. These proposals, in the Senate Budget, will provide the district with needed flexibility to ensure financial stability for our community as the Indian Point PILOT payments scale down due to its closure. We need these proposals enacted so our community has more assurances moving forward. I am hopeful the Assembly approves the Senate's proposed language regarding Indian Point. While we remain shocked and stunned at the closure, we now need to move forward creating financial stability so large potential tax hikes are mitigated in the future."

Buchanan Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker said, "It is imperative that Albany provide the support we need, especially since the decision to close Indian Point was made without our input. As always, I thank Senator Murphy for his bold support of our community but ultimately it is imperative that we have the full support of all of our lawmakers during these incredibly challenging times."

Linda Puglisi, Supervisor of Cortlandt said, "We have held several local community unity task force meetings with speakers and have had a very positive discussion of necessary steps to take regarding the closure of Indian Point in 2020/2021. I will be a member of the NYS Task Force scheduled for later in April. Also, I attended Senator Murphy's public hearing on the closure that was held locally and appreciate the Senator's assistance as we address the challenges of our largest taxpayer and job producer closing in a few years."