New York nuclear plant explosion leaves oil slick on the Hudson River

A transformer explosion at Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York dumped oil into the Hudson
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Indian Point nuclear power plant, 40 miles upriver from New York City, caught fire after a transformer explosion on Saturday night, and while "the transformer fire in and of itself was not dangerous," Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Sunday, it did release thousands of gallons of oil into the Hudson River.

"The plant's fire suppression system automatically sprayed water on the transformer fire," explained Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But "oil made its way into the drains and into the water. Several thousand gallons may have overflowed the transformer moat." Nobody knows exactly how much found its way into the water, but the damaged transformer contained 80,000 gallons of oil.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.