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
Mass rallies held in major US cities in support of Gaza
Yale students threaten hunger strike over university connection to Gaza war
Yale students stage hunger strike to demand divestment from Israel
NYT: Don’t use words ‘genocide,’ ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza war coverage
Iran hit Israeli military, intelligence bases linked to Syria attack: FM
VIDEO | Israel Gaza aggression
How Iranian missiles and drones evaded Israel’s much-hyped air defenses
70,000 pro-Palestine people in UK urge London to end arms exports to Israel
VIDEO | Gaza, Hezbollah, and decline of Zionism
Iran Greco-Roman wrestlers win Asian championship
Gaza authorities slam Israel for torturing Palestinian children
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
