"Opponents were particularly concerned about the presence of tritiated water, a radioactive form of water that contains tritium, a byproduct in nuclear reactors that bonds with oxygen. Tritium can’t be filtered out because it has the same chemical composition as normal water, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which also noted that nuclear power plants “routinely and safely release dilute concentrations of tritiated water.”
Attorneys for Holtec argued that the radiation exposure from Indian Point discharge was estimated to remain well within regulated safety limits. Throughout the operation of Indian Point, millions of gallons of water containing tritium were already discharged into the Hudson River."